Tag: Baseball

‘Voice of the Lions’ Gary Kidwell dies at 82; icon in Lewis County

By DENNIS K. BROWN, The Lewis County Herald

For more than 50 years, Gary Kidwell, The Old Right Hander, was the voice and the record-keeper of Lewis County athletics. He hosted the Saturday Morning Sports Program on WKKS and wrote the Sports Corner column in The Lewis County Herald, a weekly tradition that connected generations of readers to the achievements of our student-athletes and kept local sports in front of our community.

Kidwell, 82, passed away at Vanceburg Hills nursing facility after a long journey with dementia.

Gary’s impact on Lewis County reached far beyond a microphone or a byline. Over seven decades, he served as a player, coach, teacher, athletic director, umpire, commissioner, and as a tireless supporter of young people in this county and across northeastern Kentucky.

Gary Kidwell was an icon in Lewis County, serving the school system and community for decades. (Photo by Dennis K. Brown, Lewis County Herald)

“Our region has lost a media icon, the Lewis County Lions have lost their biggest fan and best coach, and I have lost a childhood hero as a basketball girl in a neighboring county,” Said State Senator Robin Webb.

“Alice coached the Lewis girls when I played at East,” Webb adds. “They have been mentors, and friends since. I love the Kidwell family and send them love and prayers for comfort.”

Gary Roger Kidwell grew up in the Charters community, played for the Lions in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and later returned home to Lewis County after an early coaching and teaching stint at Millersburg Military Institute.

Beginning in the mid-1960s, Gary taught and coached at Lewis County High School, serving as head basketball coach, head baseball coach, assistant football coach, and later athletic director for nearly two decades.

His baseball teams won hundreds of games, a 10th Region championship and a state quarterfinal appearance in 1977, as well as multiple district titles and an Eastern Kentucky Conference championship.

Lewis County Yearbook Photo of Coach Gary Kidwell.

His basketball teams brought home three straight 62nd District championships in the late 1970s and helped restore pride in Lions basketball. He was instrumental in reviving the football program and helping build up Little League baseball in Lewis County.

After stepping away from the bench, Gary found new ways to serve the sports he loved. He became a respected baseball and softball umpire, working district, regional, and state tournaments and earning recognition as Kentucky High School Umpire of the Year.

He later served as Commissioner of the Eastern Kentucky Conference and as a member of the KHSAA Board of Control, helping guide high school athletics well beyond our county lines.

Gary’s lifetime of work earned him induction into the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Lewis County High School Athletic Hall of Fame, and honors from his alma mater, Morehead State University.

Those plaques and certificates tell part of the story, but they do not fully capture the late nights, long bus rides, and countless hours he invested in our kids and in this community.

For many in Lewis County, though, the most familiar part of Gary’s legacy was his work behind the microphone and in these pages. Since the mid-1970s, he served as sports editor of The Herald, writing his weekly column, covering games, and keeping alive the memories of decades of Lions athletics.

Each Saturday morning, listeners tuned in to WKKS to hear him talk with coaches and players, swap stories, share scores, and shine a spotlight on local student-athletes.

Gary Kidwell during a timeout in his coaching days.

LCHS Principal Jack Lykins said, “For younger people Gary Kidwell is known as the guy on the radio every Saturday morning. For the majority of us, we know him as coach, athletic director, voice of the Lions, friend and ambassador. No matter where you went in the state, if you told someone you were from Lewis County you always got this response: ‘How is Coach Kidwell doing?’ Those in my generation will always call him ‘Coach.’”

I first knew Gary as a student in the 1970s. Like so many others, I watched and learned from him long before I ever worked with him. Later, as an owner and manager of WKKS and publisher of The Herald, I had the privilege of working beside him for many years.

I learned that Gary never stopped working for the kids of Lewis County. If there was a Lions game being played, he wanted to know the score, who played well, and how their efforts could be recognized.

He had an acute sense of humor and must have known thousands of jokes and one-liners. We shared many long road trips, and we passed the time with sports talk and an endless trading of jokes. One particular trip to cover a game in Indianapolis stands out, several hours each direction of jokes, stories, and more jokes. And he still had more in reserve.

George Plummer, longtime family friend, shared, “I am sad to learn that my friend, the old right hander, Gary Kidwell, has rounded third and headed for home. I always enjoyed all the jokes he could tell. He has attended more ballgames than anyone I can think of. Rest in peace, my friend.”

Mike Edington, close friend and longtime media assistant, said, “Gary was a great friend who has given me many good times going to different sports events. It’s hard to say goodbye to someone who has given me so many good memories.”

Chris Perry, a friend and longtime supporter of West Carter athletics, said, “Our region has truly lost another icon. When you thought of Lewis County basketball, you thought of Gary Kidwell. He poured his heart into coaching the Lions, and when his time on the bench ended, he carried that passion straight to the radio table. He gave himself not only to his own community but to the entire region. I truly enjoyed every conversation we shared. My heart breaks for his wonderful wife, Alice, and their family. There’s comfort in knowing he’s now reunited with Merle.”

Tammy Underwood Alburg, former standout basketball player and coach, reflected on Kidwell’s impact: “I wonder if he ever knew that his own impact went far beyond the edges of the court. He touched my life in so many positive and profound ways—offering wisdom, mentorship, friendship, and laughter. Coach Kidwell really and truly is the poster child for one of a kind. Thank you for the positive impact you had on my life, Coach. Tell Merle I said hi.”

Jimmy Lykins, who was coached by Kidwell and later served as LCHS athletic director said, “He was an ambassador for the youth and Lewis County Athletics wherever he went across the state of Kentucky. He will be remembered for his love of athletics and the ability to connect with people wherever he went. He will leave a huge hole in the hearts of Lewis Countians.”

Local leaders also recognized the magnitude of the loss.
Judge Executive George Sparks said, “Lewis County lost a true champion for our young people with the passing of Gary Kidwell. For decades, Gary poured his heart into our schools and our community. Generations of student-athletes knew that if they worked hard and represented Lewis County with pride, Gary would be there to tell their story. We are grateful for his lifetime of service and the example he set.”

Gary had a way of making people feel seen. He celebrated the big wins and the quiet, everyday efforts—the role players, the bench, the coaches, the clock keepers, and the folks who swept the gym floor. He encouraged young people to work hard, represent Lewis County well, and carry themselves with pride.

He loved his family deeply. Gary is survived by his wife of 61 years, Alice Kidwell, and by two daughters, Stacy Kidwell of Morehead and Tai Kidwell Hieneman of Flatwoods. He was preceded in death by their son, Gary Merle Kidwell, who passed away on July 18, 2023.

For all his awards and honors, Gary remained grounded in the place he called home, living just across the highway from Lewis County High Schoo, the Home of the Lions. He often said he was blessed to spend his life doing what he loved—coaching, teaching, umpiring, broadcasting, and writing about sports—and to do it right here in Lewis County.

He never forgot where he came from, and he never stopped giving back to the community that supported him.

“I will always remember Gary as a person who loved Lewis County sports,” said Bill Tom Stone. “He spent years coaching young kids and spreading the word about Lewis County sports everywhere he went. His impact on our community is greater than most will ever realize.”

Lewis County has lost an icon, a teacher, a coach, a broadcaster, and a friend. We have also lost a man who believed, week after week and season after season, that our young people and our community were worth showing up for.

“Gary Kidwell was a Lewis County icon,” said Pastor Tom Cox. “He will be remembered most for his contributions to sports, but he was equally successful as a family man, a valuable church member and a positive influence in his community.”

On behalf of The Lewis County Herald and WKKS, we are honored to have worked beside and along with him. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his former players, his colleagues, and the countless people whose lives he touched.

Services will be at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, November 22, 2025, at Vanceburg Christian Church with Pastor Tom Cox Jr. officiating. A fellowship dinner will follow prior to traveling to the burial service at Mound Cemetery in Piketon, Ohio. Visitation will be at the church after 9:00 a.m. Saturday.

Arrangements are under the direction of Gaydos Funeral Home in Vanceburg.

Obituary for Gary Kidwell, 1943-2025

Gary Roger Kidwell, 82, of Vanceburg, passed away peacefully Saturday, November 15, 2025, at Vanceburg Hills, following a long battle with dementia.

A lifelong Lewis Countian, he was born September 20, 1943, at Stricklett, a son of the late Marcus E. (Shirley) Kidwell and Thelma Sapp (Jess) Gulley.

After graduating from Lewis County High School in 1961, Gary pursued a career in education at Morehead State University, earning Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Rank I degrees. While at MSU, Gary met and married his wife of 61 years, Alice Nelson Kidwell, on September 6, 1964.

Gary began his teaching and coaching career at Millersburg Military Institute in 1965. In 1967, he was given the opportunity to return to his home in Lewis County and continue his career, where he would serve the students and athletes of Lewis County Schools for 50 years.

During his time with the Lewis County Schools, “Coach” served in numerous roles. He started out teaching and coaching basketball and baseball and was integral in reviving the football program at LCHS. He later served as athletic director for many years, representing Lewis County on numerous state and national boards. Many Lewis County alumni remember him as the comical driver’s education teacher as he fearlessly taught many young students and members of the community to drive.

Anyone who knew Coach knew his passion for all things sports. He loved his Lewis County Lions, Kentucky Wildcats, Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Bengals, and Morehead State Eagles. His dedicated following of his favorite teams led to his long-time interest in sports media. This afforded him countless opportunities to attend and cover games on local, state, and national stages. He was honored to have the chance to cover his Wildcats in bowl games, SEC and NCAA tournaments, the Reds in the World Series, and the MLB All-Star Game in Cincinnati.

But he was most proud of his local media efforts that he used as a platform to promote local student athletes. Gary hosted a weekly sports radio show, “Saturday Morning Sports,” and wrote a weekly sports column in The Lewis County Herald, “Kidwell’s Korner,” and was the “Voice of the Lions” on WKKS Radio for more than 50 years.

If you attended a Sweet Sixteen basketball tournament in the last 60 years, you were sure to see Gary in attendance sharing stories, jokes, and memories with long-time friends from across the state.

Through his many years of service to the sports world, Gary was honored to receive several cherished awards, including induction into five halls of fame: KHSAA–Dawahares Hall of Fame, KABC Court of Honor, NHSCA Hall of Fame, Morehead State University Alumni Hall of Fame, and Lewis County High School Athletic Hall of Fame. He was also named KHSADA Athletic Director of the Year in 1995 and was a top-5 finalist for National Athletic Director of the Year. Gary also enjoyed umpiring softball, advancing to call multiple state championships. A highlight of Gary’s summer for many years was umpiring at the Mike Borders Beagle Classic. He also spent 26 years as commissioner of the Eastern Kentucky Conference.

Aside from sports, Gary’s greatest loves were his children and grandchildren. You could often find him cheering them on from the sidelines, no matter the sport or activity. He was always proud of their accomplishments and never shy to brag on them to others. He always loved the annual Kidwell family vacations and was guaranteed to provide plenty of content for hilarious stories for years to come.

He was the king of one-liners, always cracking a joke and lighting up a room with laughter. Even into his last months, he was attempting to deliver his famous punchlines with a smile on his face.

Gary was of Christian faith and was a devoted member of Vanceburg Christian Church, serving as a deacon for many years.

Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Alice Nelson Kidwell; two daughters, Stacy Anne Kidwell of Morehead and Tai Kidwell Hieneman (Keith) of Flatwoods; one daughter-in-law, Mandy Kidwell of Flatwoods; six grandchildren, Carson Kidwell, Kate Kidwell, Alex Kidwell, Selah Kidwell, Claire Hieneman, and Jack Hieneman; two brothers, Barry Gulley (Cindy) of Whiteburg, Georgia, and Mark Kidwell (Monica) of Pensacola, Florida; four sisters, Tonia Berry (Charles) and Ginger Miller (Gary) of Flemingsburg, Dana Hammonds (David) of Hebron, and Tara Reed (Brian) of Lexington; and his uncle Kenneth Sapp, who was like a brother to him.

In addition to his parents, he was welcomed into Heaven by his beloved son, Gary “Merle” Kidwell, and his grandparents, Hanson and Maggie Sapp and Ashel and Rosa Kidwell.

Services will be at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, November 22, 2025, at Vanceburg Christian Church with Pastor Tom Cox Jr. officiating. A fellowship dinner will follow the service at the church prior to traveling to the burial service at Mound Cemetery in Piketon, Ohio. Visitation will be after 9:00 a.m. Saturday at the church.

Arrangements are under the direction of Gaydos Funeral Home in Vanceburg.

As Gary said and wrote for many years, “This is the old right-hander saying, ‘Have a good week in sports!’”

Condolences may be sent at www.gaydosfh.com.

‘Shorty’ Blanton, Tomcat state championship baseball coach in 1968, dies at 94

Leonard “Shorty” Blanton, who coached the Ashland Tomcats baseball team for only three years but his legacy includes a state championship in 1968 and state runner-up finish in 1969, died in Florida on Aug. 30. He was 94.

Blanton took over the Tomcats’ baseball job in 1968 after Zeke Meyers had led Ashland to back-to-back state titles in 1966 and 1967. Meyers, who took an administration position at Marshall University following his time in Ashland, went 47-4 in two seasons including a perfect 25-0 in 1967.

Even though the cupboard was hardly bare, who wanted to replace that coaching legend?

Blanton told me a few years ago in an interview for the book Tomcat Dynasty he got the job because “no one else wanted it.” During those days the principal selected the coaches for the so-called “minor” sports of track and baseball. He appointed Blanton to be the baseball coach.

A good football coach at several levels in the Ashland system, including the junior varsity coach the year the Tomcats won the state title in 1967 and the head coach at Coles Jr. High in 1971, Blanton admittedly didn’t have a wealth of baseball knowledge and had never coached the sport on any level. And now he was taking over the two-time defending state champions with a wealth of returning players, including Bobby Lynch, John Mullins, Steve Hemlepp, Fred Leibee, Tim Huff, Bo Carter, Dave Staten and Mike Tackett. These days people would be knocking each other over to get that job.

Leonard “Shorty” Blanton celebrates after winning the 1968 state baseball championship as coach for the Ashland Tomcats. It was the third consecutive title for the Tomcats.

Lynch and Hemlepp were like unofficial assistant coaches and knew the team better than anyone. Blanton said he welcomed their suggestions and knew these Tomcats were not just good at baseball, they were good at winning.

It proved to be true as those Tomcats became Kentucky’s first program to win three consecutive state championships. It did not happen again until Pleasure Ridge Park won it from 1994-96.

Blanton said the players taught him a lot about baseball and were “easy to coach.”

The ’68 champions finished 23-3 and surrendered only one run in three games in the state tournament. Lynch won two of those games, including being the winning pitcher in the finals for the second time in three years. If not for a strange scoring decision, he would have been the winning pitcher in all three championship games.

But what Blanton did with the ’69 team was the most surprising. He took them back to the state tournament and reached the finals where they dropped a 1-0 decision to Owensboro in heartbreaking fashion.

In the state championship game against Owensboro, a pair of errors brought home the winning run – and only run of the game – in the bottom of the seventh inning. There may have been three errors since the baserunner was thought to have missed third. Ashland never protested. Leonard talked about that play nearly 50 years later.

“Someone told me the runner didn’t even touch third base,” he said. “I missed it and none of my boys saw it either. Who knows? The umpire may not have noticed either. I guess we’ll never know.”

The Tomcats finished 19-4 including a 1-0 victory over Don Gullett-led McKell in the regional semifinals in Morehead. Ashland had only one hit in the game, a triple from Dave Damron who then scored the game’s only run on Tackett’s sacrifice fly. Gullett struck out 11 and allowed the lone hit but Huff outdueled him.

“Those guys were outstanding, some of the best in the state, and they knew how to win, too,” Blanton said. “It’s a shame it turned out like it did.”

Blanton was not planning on coming back for the 1970 season after that stinging loss and announced in the newspaper that Steve Gilmore would be replacing him. But that didn’t happen until the following year. Blanton coached the Tomcats to a 12-10 season in 1970, losing in the regional finals to Russell.

He finished his high school coaching career with a 54-17 record. Not bad for somebody who admitted having limited baseball coaching knowledge when he took the job.

Blanton was much more than a good coach, though. He was a fine Christian gentleman, husband and father and a friendly and popular man in Ashland. His wife, Ada, who died in 2020, was a beautiful lady and powerful singer who was crowned Mrs. Kentucky in 1968. She represented the state along with the 1968 Miss Kentucky and Col. Harland Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame on the Kentucky state float during the inauguration parade for President Richard Nixon in Washington, D.C., in 1968.

Shorty and Ada sang together in church at Unity Baptist and in local dramas and musicals. They have a son, Ted Blanton, who played on Ashland’s 1967 state football championship team.

Blanton was born in 1931 and graduated from Ashland High School in 1949. He played on the Tomcats’ 1946-1948 football teams. He rushed for 339 yards and had 152 yards receiving while scoring five touchdowns on a 5-4-1 team in ’48 that was ranked No. 3 in the final AP state poll. The losses and tie came to four out-of-state teams (Charleston, Stonewall Jackson, Huntington High, Ironton and Portsmouth).

Darryl Smith will be remembered for all the right reasons

The news that Darryl Smith had died while taking his morning walk on Monday was hard to process. He was a former Ashland Tomcat two-sport standout about the time I was trying to figure out this sportswriting business. I’ve written numerous stories about him through the years when he was an athlete, a coach and a highly successful college basketball referee. I always considered him a friend.

Darryl Smith during the 2019 CP-1 Hall of Fame induction in Ashland’s Central Park.

He was an outstanding athlete in baseball and basketball and an even better person. He came from good stock, and one of the best Tomcat families in history. The late John and Rhoda Smith had five sons – David, Doug, Darryl, Daniel and Deron – and the Ashland community benefitted from having this fine family in the area for reasons far beyond sports. People like the Smiths were building blocks of great communities.

Darryl was a crafty left-handed pitcher, and he turned around at the plate and batted righthanded. He was good at both. He also was on back-to-back 16th Region basketball championship teams in coach Paul Patterson’s first two seasons as head coach.

But baseball was where it was for Smith, who went to Cumberland College to pitch.

After college, Smith signed on to coach Mike Tussey’s inaugural Stan Musial team in 1982 and played every summer through 1986 where he was a dominating pitcher and first base with a powerful bat.

Smith delivers his speech at the CP-1 Hall of Fame in 2019.

He hung up playing for coaching as he became a mentor for baseball players in Boyd County when he coached Catlettsburg Post 224’s Legion team, including winning a state championship in 1988.

For all that, Darryl Smith was an easy choice as one of the 101 people to be inducted into the CP-1 Hall of Fame. He was in the 2019 class. I remember calling him to tell him the news and he was so excited and honored. It was something he never expected and appreciated so much. Darryl would join his younger brother, Daniel, in the CP-1 Hall of Fame.

He was living in Jacksonville, Fla., and I asked him if attending the August ceremony would be a problem and he said, absolutely not, he would be there. Smith came that sunny afternoon and so did his parents. They were so proud of him and the rest of his athletic siblings.

Of course, travel wasn’t a problem for Smith. He was used to that after more than a decade of being a college basketball referee and, naturally, a good one. He rose through those ranks rather quickly and that was no surprise to anyone who knew him.

Jody Hamilton, a former teammate on the Tomcats, called him a great teammate. Jody also had superlatives about the Smith family, which was all about the Tomcats.

“Darryl was much like his dad. Never panicked, calm with strong presence,” Hamilton said.

The entire infield of the 1976 Tomcats baseball team – Smith (pitcher), Herb Wamsley (catcher), Mark Swift (second base), Greg Jackson (third base), Don Allen (shortstop) and Hamilton (first base) – are in the CP-1 Hall of Fame along with their coach, Frank Sloan. They were regional champions.

Teammates like these all raved about the competitiveness and quiet confidence that was a part of Smith’s DNA as an athlete. He was a winner who played the game the right way.

Darryl Smith, back row second from left, along with the other inductees in the 2019 CP-1 Hall of Fame.

Smith was a role player for Patterson because that’s what everyone did for the coach who never lost a game to a 16th Region opponent in his four seasons. During his senior year, he was surrounded with great talent – Jeff Kovach, Jim Harkins, Mark and Greg Swift, Dale Dummitt, Don Allen and others. That 1977 team went 30-2 and reached the state semifinals before losing to Louisville Valley in Freedom Hall.

Smith had several games in double figures and led the Tomcats twice with 14 against Ironton in a hard-fought win and 18 on Senior Night against Montgomery County. But he was mostly in there for rebounds, screening and defense. That was the Patterson way.

Darryl Smith with Colin Porter, a former Tomcat star and current Liberty University senior guard.

As a college basketball referee, he would often cross paths with players who had ties to the 16th Region. He 2010, he was officiating a game where Paul Patterson was coaching at Taylor University. Scott Gill, a former Russell High star and son Ashland grad David Gill, was playing for Taylor. He posed for a photo with them afterward.

Last Thanksgiving, he met former Tomcat point guard Colin Porter and his mother, Hilary, in the lobby of the hotel where Liberty University was playing. Darryl, who was officiating the tournament Liberty was participating in, was always affable.

Darryl Smith, who graduated from Ashland In 1977, will be remembered for a long time for how he carried himself as an athlete, a coach and in life. His death leaves a void for his family and friends that is hard to fill. He is gone far too soon.

Greg Jackson, community champion and driving force of the Putnam Stadium project, selected as Sports Day honoree

ASHLAND – Greg Jackson, who spearheaded and practically willed the rebuilding of Putnam Stadium from rubble to spectacular showcase, will be honored this summer on Elks Sports Day.

Jackson spent countless hours overseeing the Putnam Stadium restoration project for 17 years, serving as everything from fundraiser to cheerleader to give the Tomcats and their fans one of the most complete and impressive stadiums in the South. Nobody could question the resolve of Jackson whose expansive vision for what Putnam Stadium could be came to life this fall.

A born leader who graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1980, Jackson is also a community champion who has served on countless boards and is a leader at his church. He was a two-sport star in high school for Ashland. Jackson was a running back and outside linebacker on the famed JAWS 1975 champions and a third baseman for the 1975 and 1976 regional baseball champions.

Jackson also played on freshmen football and baseball teams at West Point. He served six years in the Army after graduating from West Point. He went there with classmate and teammate Chuck Anderson, a past Sports Day honoree, who went on to a career in the Army that saw him rise to become a Two-Star General. Anderson will introduce Jackson at the Sports Day banquet.

Greg Jackson spent 17 years as chairman of the Putnam Stadium Restoration Committee, finishing the job in the fall of 2024.

Beyond playing, Jackson served as an assistant coach for Ashland Kittens softball for eight seasons, including six regional champions, and was president of the Tomcat Band Booster Club for one year and active for eight years when his daughters were in band. He also was a youth softball, baseball, football, and basketball coach when his three children were young.

All that while working 34 years in Human Resources with Ashland Oil and Marathon Petroleum Corporation and serving on a dozen community boards.

The exhaustive list of accomplishments checked all the boxes for making him the perfect choice for Sports Day, said Dale Sexton, who is serving as co-chairman with Steve Towler. Sexton said Jackson was a unanimous selection of the committee.

Greg Jackson with his coach, Herb Conley, in September 2024 to dedicate the stadium’s new look.

“He’s definitely somebody that needed to be honored for all he’s done for the Ashland community,” Sexton said. “He is very deserving, and we are glad to have him as the honoree. I think it will be a great night to honor a great man who obviously loves Ashland.”

The banquet is on June 14 at Elks Lodge. Jackson’s portrait will be hung on the lodge’s back wall joining the honorees who have come before him. Mark Maynard, another former Sports Day honoree and former editor of The Daily Independent, will be the speaker.

“You look at those names and it is hard to feel like you’re in that group,” Jackson said. “I’m humbled to have even been considered but appreciative of being selected by the committee.”

Jackson, 67, was inducted in 2022 to the CP-1 Ashland Baseball Hall of Fame.

Jackson is the ultimate volunteer, using his time and skills to make Ashland a better place throughout his life. His board work was exemplary, even reaching the state level where he was on the state United Way board from 2015-2018.

As an athlete, few played harder than Jackson, who missed five weeks of his senior football season with a broken foot. Although he did not know it, he had broken the foot two days before the opener against Johnson Central.

JAWS 1975 team was the State At Large champions.

The night before the opener he had a temperature of 102 but tried to hide the injury from the coaches because he wanted to play the first game of his senior season. Jackson played and on his first carry dashed 53 yards for a touchdown. Jackson carried three more times and had 100 yards rushing at halftime.

His foot was throbbing and after sitting through halftime, it swelled so much that he could not put weight on it. An x-ray the next morning revealed the break. Jackson said he asked the doctor if he could just give him a cortisone shot on game days and was met with a resounding no.

“I didn’t think so, but I thought it was worth asking,” he said.

Jackson eventually returned to the playing field and was a key player on defense for the famed JAWS team that finished 14-1, losing their last game to St. Xavier 20-0 in the Class AAAA overall state championship. The week before against Paducah Tilghman, Jackson had a fourth-down touchdown run that put the Tomcats in front 7-0 in a 13-7 victory in the Class AAAA State At-Large state championship.

JAWS defense dominated Class AAAA in 1975.

Although his carries were limited because of the foot injury, Jackson still rushed for 350 yards and was second on the team in yards per carry at 8.1.

That Ashland team became the first in Kentucky to fly to a game. The Tomcat Boosters raised money to transport the team to Paducah to save them from a long bus ride across the state.

The Tomcats have always been high on Jackson’s priority as evidenced by taking on the job of rebuilding Putnam Stadium. He became chair in 2008 and finished the project last fall. His advice to others is to volunteer time and expertise.

“Get involved in all the things you can for your community to make it a better place,” Jackson said. “I would not trade my time coaching for anything. You do for others what people did for me. My first coach was my father passing ball with me in the backyard.”

He worked with strong board members throughout his time serving in the community.

“It takes so many people to take on big projects. You must have volunteers. It does not just happen. The stadium is a prime example.”

Jackson’s inner determination made the project happen. Not only was the old stadium razed because of safety concerns but the new one was built with the same footprint. It took years to accomplish everything on his to-do list including a turfed field, flags to display championship seasons and new flagpoles and flags behind the end zone, Tomcat Donor Corner to honor those who gave, a statue of coach Herb Conley representing Ashland’s past and present, a Tomcat statue at the top of the stairs going down to the field to motivate players, the (Jumbotron) video scoreboard, LED lights, a sound system with mics for the referees, a banked end zone, new press box, bucket seating, locker rooms, wall dedications, a catch net behind the open end zone and decorative screens along the walls to tie colors together.

There was no stone left unturned for Jackson who was determined to make it all happen. Anything less was a failure in his mind.

“Fortunately, I got support from the school board, superintendents and the stadium restoration committee all along,” Jackson said. “They supported everything. Also, Donna (Suttle) was instrumental in fundraising early on and Steve (Conley) was with me every step of the way.”

Longtime stadium groundskeeper Steve Conley hugs Jackson.

Jackson said fundraising was not one of his strengths, but he found himself in that role with the stadium project. He was able to bring in one-third of the total cost through fundraising efforts including Clark’s Pump-N-Shop donation and naming rights to bring turf to the stadium, which was one of the biggest pieces.

“There were times when I thought, ‘Are we really going to get there?’” he said. “I know what I wanted to do and kept adding things and told everybody we were going to get it done.”

He had everything but the video (Jumbotron) scoreboard by the end of April but had no more money in the stadium account and it was going to cost $260,000. Jackson told his wife, Cindy, that he had to raise a quarter million in the next month.

“I wasn’t going to stop until I have it,” he said.

Not only did he raise enough for the football scoreboard but also was able to add almost another $100,000 for a video board that was put in the gymnasium on the Ashland campus.

Jackson is an avid Ashland Tomcat, Kentucky Wildcat, and Army fan (Go Army! Beat Navy!). He remains active in church leadership at Unity Baptist serving as a deacon. He and his wife have three grown children – Josh Griffith (Marie), Becca Doss (Roger), and Kathryn Jackson – who came up through the Ashland school system and two grandchildren (Joshua Griffith and Talula Mae Griffith).