Tag: writing

‘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.

Dicky Martin Memorial Scholarship being established

Dicky Martin’s voice rang out all over Ashland on the radio for five decades and his death leaves an irreplaceable hole in the Tomcats’ heart.

His family wants that voice to continue in a tangible way through a memorial scholarship. Dicky loved his Tomcats when they were playing and remembered them years later after they had hung up their jersey. He did more for Ashland students than anyone will ever know, putting them on a pedestal long after their playing days.

The Dicky Martin Memorial Scholarship will be a way to say thank you to him for the memorable moments and thrilling calls he gave Ashland fans for 50 years, not to mention the ways he gave back to the program without anyone ever knowing it.

Dicky Martin provided plenty of chills and thrills with his radio broadcasts of Tomcat sports for 50 years.

Donna Suttle is helping the Martin family establish the fund which they hope could be effective by the end of the school year. It would be extended to an Ashland athlete (a particular sport has not been decided).

Suttle manages the Joe Franklin Memorial Scholarship that goes to Tomcat basketball players, the Doug Childers Memorial Scholarship for Tomcat football players and has started the Johnny Mullins Memorial Scholarship that tentatively is going to an Ashland baseball player. The Bill Gammon Scholarship for Tomcat football players is managed through a trust fund established upon his death in 1973.

The Martins are on the ground floor for the latest scholarship opportunity for an Ashland athlete. Guidelines have not been established until some funding has been secured to make sure it has a solid foundation.

What they are asking is for Ashland fans to remember Dicky Martin with a donation to get the scholarship off to a strong start. It is a simple way to say thank you to Dicky for all he did for Tomcat sports. Not only was in the “Voice of the Tomcats” but he essentially was the Tomcat Boosters Club. He did everything he could to make sure Ashland athletes had the very best while representing the Tomcats.

Now his family is asking for help so Dicky’s memory will carry on for decades to come through this scholarship. If you are willing to give, please send a check to Donna Suttles at 1520 Lexington Avenue, Ashland, Ky. 41101. Make the check to: Dicky Martin Memorial Scholarship Fund. You can also Venmo your donation to Whitney Martin.

The family is grateful for the love and compassion shown during his recent passing.

Let’s keep Dicky Martin’s voice alive through this scholarship program.

Dicky Martin’s passing leaves an irreplaceable void in Tomcat sports

The sound coming from the radio was more static than voice — unrecognizable, unfamiliar. It wasn’t what it should have been.

Driving home to northern Kentucky after watching the first quarter of Ashland’s game with Rowan County two weeks ago — on the night the famous JAWS team was being honored — I searched the dial for the Tomcats’ broadcast and finally landed on it.

Or did I?

The announcers were doing a fine job, especially considering Ashland was up 48-0 by halftime. But it wasn’t the same. Because it wasn’t Dicky Martin — the unmistakable voice of the Tomcats — calling the game from the Putnam Stadium press box that bears his and his father’s name.

Dicky Martin provided Ashland with 50 years of radio broadcasting. He passed away Oct. 15.

Dicky wasn’t there because he was in the hospital, locked in the fight of his life — a fight he sadly lost to cancer Wednesday night. Even knowing he wouldn’t be on the air, instinctively turning the dial to find him felt like something that should still work. For half a century, it always had. Entering his 50th season as Ashland’s play-by-play man, he had missed only two games.

I tried to listen. My mind wouldn’t let me. I turned it off.

Ashland is a place steeped in tradition, and Dicky Martin was part of that tradition’s fabric. The Martin family — Dicky and his father, Dick — gave Ashland 73 years of Tomcat broadcasts between them. People like to say no one is irreplaceable. But when it comes to Ashland Tomcat sports, Dicky Martin proved that saying wrong.

Born with a silver microphone

Some people are born with a silver spoon. Dicky was born with a silver microphone.

His father, Dick Martin, moved the family from Huntington to Ashland in 1952 and started broadcasting Tomcat games on WCMI the next year. He was a sharp businessman who understood that community radio needed sports — and that Ashland needed its voice.

Both Martins had a similar style: blunt, passionate, fiercely loyal. They never hesitated to call out poor play or questionable officiating — all through maroon-tinted glasses. Dicky often said, “There’s an on-and-off switch on your radio if you don’t like what you hear.”

He could be hard on the Tomcats, but no one else better be. Criticize his team, and you were taking on family.

Dick Martin became as much an icon as his son would later be. He even served as Ashland’s mayor, but it was his radio work — and his love for the Tomcats — that defined him.

Dicky once laughed recalling a moment from his childhood when his dad waved a handkerchief at a referee. “The ref came over and said, ‘You got something to say?’ Dad said, ‘Here, talk right into the microphone.’”

The referee rolled his eyes and went back to the game. Soon enough, the calls evened out.

That was Dick Martin — unfiltered, bold, and impossible to ignore.

Learning the craft

Dicky learned early that preparation mattered. His parents made him listen to recordings of his voice and work on his diction. “I had that Ashland twang,” he told me once. “They made me pronounce and enunciate until I got it right.”

Few were ever more prepared behind a mic than Dicky Martin. He could deliver a sharp one-liner at just the right moment — often unrehearsed, sometimes regretted, but always memorable.

“It’s humbling,” he said, “that people bring radios to the games just to listen.”

In his early days, his passion sometimes got him in trouble. He was banned once from the Boyd County Middle School gym. Some Tomcat fans didn’t always agree with his takes, but they still listened — often through headsets in the stands, wanting his voice to accompany what they were seeing.

His first broadcast came in 1973 when his father pretended to lose his voice and handed the mic to Dicky during a Raceland–Holy Family game. Dicky had just graduated from Ashland the year before. By 1975, he was the full-time voice of the Tomcats.

The rest, as they say, was history.

A voice shaped by legends

Dicky Martin became emotional when he learned the press box would carry the name of his father and him.

Dicky often said he learned from three of the best: his father, UK legend Cawood Ledford, and Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman. “My dad was the best,” he said. “I learned from him, from Cawood, and I love to listen to Marty. He’s the best one living.”

Patterned after greats, yes — but Dicky was one of a kind.

“I’ve mellowed a lot,” he told me a few years ago. “I’m kind of like a fan in a way. When a guy misses a call, the fans go, ‘Oooooooh!’ I just get to do it over the air.”

The “Three D’s” and lasting friendships

This story isn’t complete without mentioning his longtime sidekick, David “Dirk” Payne, who passed away a few years ago. Dicky loved him deeply. “There aren’t many men I love more than him,” he said. “When my dad died, Dirk thought it was me. He had a stroke that day. One day I lost my father and damn near lost Dirk, too.”

Dirk and Dicky on the air were Ashland’s equivalent to Marty and Joe with the Reds. You never wanted to miss a second.

Dicky Martin with some friends from left: Mark Maynard, Greg Jackson, Dicky, Donna Suttle and Steve Conley.

Longtime fan Donna Suttle was another dear friend. She called them the “Three D’s” — Dicky, Dirk and Donna. Her heart is broken now that trio is down to one.

He had many more friends in Ashland. Everybody knew of Dicky Martin and his love for the Tomcats.

Beyond the Tomcats

Dicky’s voice wasn’t confined to Ashland. His career took him to Soldier Field, the Gator Bowl, Ohio State’s “Shoe,” and RFK Stadium while calling games for the semipro West Virginia Rockets. He worked Morehead State basketball games during Wayne Martin’s coaching era, which took him to Madison Square Garden and two NCAA tournaments.

But his heart was always at home.

“My two favorite places are Putnam Stadium and Anderson Gym,” he said. “I love those places.”

He had been to every state basketball tournament since 1976 — and his father took him to his first in 1961, when Ashland won it all. He was just seven years old then, but he never forgot.

Football was his true passion. “I never dreamed I’d be doing this as long as I have,” he said. “But I loved every second of it.”

So did we, Dicky.

So did we.

Dicky Martin often said his favorite place to be was Putnam Stadium where he broadcasted Ashland Tomcat football for 50 years.

Terry Bell was ‘baddest of Tomcats’ during 1975 JAWS season

Terry Bell said going to a postseason award ceremony in Lexington after the 1975 high school football season didn’t interest him.

But at the urging of Ashland coach Herb Conley – and insistence of Bell’s mother – he went.

“I didn’t want to go down there,” Bell said. “Coach Conley talked to mom and them. They made me go. I was sitting there with Coach Conley, (assistant) coach (Mike) Holtzapfel, (assistant) coach (Bill Tom) Ross and (teammate) Casey (Jones). They announced the award for Lineman of the Year and said my name. They said: ‘Terry Bell of Ashland Blazer.’  I was surprised. I never expected it.”

The award meant a lot to Bell – not for his ego but because he understood the work it took to achieve it. He tragically lost the award in a house fire.

Bell, a two-way starter, was chosen as the “Lineman of the Year” in the entire state of Kentucky following his impressive play with the 1975 Ashland JAWS football team that finished 14-1, with the only loss coming 20-0 to undefeated St. Xavier in what was the first time a Jefferson County team played a team from within the rest of the state for the Class 4A championship, a new classification at the time.Even with that defeat, the 1975 JAWS team is one of the most beloved in Tomcat history. They have a 50th reunion celebration on Friday at the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Putnam Stadium.

Terry Bell was the state’s Lineman of the Year after Ashland’s 14-1 season in 1975. He was also All-State in AP and the Courier Journal.

When it came to intimidation and toughness, Terry Bell was very much made in the image of his head coach and everybody knew it.

“Terry was silent, but he was probably the baddest of the Tomcats,” said Rick Sang, an All-State receiver for the Tomcats in 1975. “They gave the Bad Cat award for big hits every week but everybody on that team knew who the Bad Cat was, and it was Terry Bell. It was kind of unspoken, but they wouldn’t mess with Terry Bell. I’d be shocked if anybody didn’t agree with that.”

That Bell was there with Jones, who may have been a nominee for the top lineman award himself, was a statement as to how good Ashland’s line play was in 1975. Bell was a captain along with quarterback Chuck Anderson and Sang.

‘THEY WERE THE REASON WHY WE WON’

Bell was a guard and Jones a tackle on the Tomcats’ right side to propel a wishbone offense that terrorized opponents as much as the defense that carried the JAWS nickname of the blockbuster movie that had people afraid to go to the beach. The formula for what made Ashland’s 1975 team so memorable was Football 101: They knew how to block and tackle.

“He and Casey both were so good, it’s hard to say which one was better,” said Alan Mayo, a senior tight end and outside linebacker in 1975. “They were the reason why we won. The things we won with were defense and offensive line. You can find skill players out of 1,200 kids in school.”

Casey Jones (73) and Terry Bell (67) wait for instruction from inside linebacker Chuck Anderson.

Bell’s “Lineman of the Year” recognition was representative of all classes – from Class A to Class 4A – and it made him one of the most decorated linemen in Tomcat history. He was first-team All-State offensive guard by The Courier Journal (coaches vote) and the Associated Press (media vote) and made All-Area (The Daily Independent). The state’s “Lineman of the Year” award has not continued so there is some uniqueness to it as well. That same night, Herb Conley was named as the state’s Coach of the Year – the only time an Ashland coach has captured that award statewide.

It was a big night for the Tomcats and one that Bell has been able to carry with him for 50 years – except that’s not in his character to talk about himself. He’d rather talk about his teammates and appreciates how fans still remember them with great respect and fondest of memories.

Raymond Hicks, left, and Yancey Ramey were powerful offensive linemen.

Jones, who lined up beside him, was tremendous as well. He went to the University of Kentucky on scholarship and did as much as anyone to keep the wishbone machine in motion. And great line play did not end with Bell and Jones. There were also center Terry Lewis, guard Yancey Ramey, tackle Raymond Hicks and Sam Nunley and David Early, who added important depth.“Terry Lewis was the rock,” Bell said. “He was the anchor. I always respected him. He did his job. Yancey, you knew he was going to do it then you had Raymond. We went all the way through school together, starting with the Wylie Bulldogs. Raymond wasn’t big but he was tall, and he could block.”

Terry Lewis was a center and the anchor
of the offensive line, said Terry Bell.

Mayo said Lewis had an often-overlookd quickness about him. “Terry could snap the ball onehanded, and he had quick feet. He was moving as he snapped the ball. He couldn’t beat you with sheer size and strength, but he was proficient and quick. Coach Conley ran all those counters with everything we did. Our timing was impeccable by the time those guys were seniors.”

The tight ends – Sang and Mayo – and wide receivers Keith Hillman and Doug Paige were outstanding blockers, too, as were the running backs who all picked off defensive backs down the field, resulting in long carries and breakaway touchdowns.

“One thing about us,” Bell said, “everybody could block.”

The outside running lanes for halfbacks Gary Thomas, Jeff Slone and Greg Jackson were wide open while Anderson, who was as much bulldozer as quarterback, and fullbacks Jim Johnson and Jay Shippey made opponents pay with hard runs up the middle and off tackle.

BELL CREDITS MIKE HOLTZAPFEL FOR BUILDING TOMCATS’ LINE

When it came to the offensive line play, Bell said one important ingredient made it all mesh – line coach Mike Holtzapfel who played at Notre Dame and carried a similar toughness and no-nonsense attitude as Coach Conley, was the architect. He also called the defensive line and linebacker signals. Ross was the secondary coach.

“We had a helluva coach in him,” Bell said of Holtzapfel. “He was all right. He had his ways, but he made us learn and we learned. He knew so much about the line play and taught us so much. We became a great line because of him. He got out the old Notre Dame stuff.”

Assistant coaches Bill Tom Ross, left, and Mike Holtzapfel.

Holtzapfel would replace Conley as the head coach after the 1976 season and led Ashland for three seasons.

What the Tomcats had for that 1975 season was a veteran offensive line with four of the five interior linemen returning as starters in the 1974 season. That included Bell, although he missed a lot of his junior season due to a knee injury in a Sept. 13 game against Franklin County. He was clipped from behind while blocking on an interception return.

The injury did not require surgery, but it did mean two months of rehabilitation. Bell made it back for the last game of the season against Boyd County. Meanwhile, the rest of the linemen that would make the JAWS team special were gaining valuable experience. Terry Fish was the only starting senior lineman for the 1974 team.

Bell was healthy again going into the offseason and came back better and bigger for the 1975 season. “l played the whole season, all 15 games,” he said. “They taped my knee up every game; used three to four rolls of tape. Between Coach Conley and coach Holtzapfel, they get it on and got it tight,” he said.

Jackson said Bell set the example of hard work equaling success, coming back from the injury stronger than ever.

“He was not only a big lineman, he was one of the fastest linemen I have ever seen. As a running back, he is the one you wanted blocking for you. He would open holes you could take a truck through. They all worked so well as a set of linemen which made our jobs much simpler.”

As for his speed, Bell was clocked at 4.8 in the 40 – a fast time for a running back and an extremely quick time for a lineman.

Bell carried an intimidating presence even walking the hallways at the high school, often seen wearing a bandana. However, he could be a gentle giant and was seen as a protector to some in his class. He was a rare athlete who had speed and athleticism to go along with his power. He could dunk a basketball and was freakishly strong.

‘JUST A NATURALLY GIFTED ATHLETE’

Sang said the first time he met Bell was when they were in physical education class at Coles Junior High. “He grabs me and picks me up with one arm, has me leaning up against the wall. I thought, ‘Nobody except my dad can do that.’ He was just having fun. He wandered off and did something else. What a strong human being. He could jump and he could run, and he was quick, too. He could move laterally, fill in the gaps and he could run you down too. Just a naturally gifted athlete.”

Bell said the JAWS theme on the season made it fun and he can vividly recall the games and said the 22-12 win over No. 1 Bryan Station in the second week of the season was the springboard for what was to come. He said wins over Ironton with Kenny Fritz, Russell and Boyd County were all memorable moments. He also recalled the Class 4A State At-Large championship game at Paducah Tilghman, the flight – his first for him along with many teammates – to get there, and Gary Thomas breaking free on a 74-yard touchdown to win that game 13-7. “I remember seeing Gary’s back, and that was a good thing,” Bell said. And, of course, the St. Xavier game in Louisville in the overall Class 4A championship game.

“I told somebody years ago if we could have played that game in Ashland, it might have been different because it’s a different atmosphere,” he said. “They never had to leave Louisville, and we had to fly to one of our games and played all but one (in the playoffs) on the road. I’d liked to have played them in Putnam Stadium.”

Depth was also a factor, he said. “There were so many of them. They had different players on offense and defense, special teams, everything. It was a tough loss.”

SNAPPING FOR FUTURE NFL GREAT PHIL SIMMS

Bell was a college prospect and he signed with Morehead State and coach Wayne Chapman. He played noseguard as a freshman and was switched to center his sophomore season before a knee injury ended his career.

Bell said he promised his mother he would stay two years and after the knee injury and a trip to the Cleveland Clinic, he decided that was enough. His hips and knee still bother him to this day, he said. Bell came home and graduated from vocational school.

Marshall talked to him and Kentucky came into the Ashland locker room after the game with St. Xavier and offered him a chance to play but would not guarantee a full scholarship. Bell said he signed with Morehead and was the center for quarterback Phil Simms’ sophomore season.

Bell said Simms and Anderson, his high school quarterback, had similar work ethic when it came to preparation. They studied film regularly and came to games ready to deliver, Bell said. He said Morehead State receivers would have Xs on their chests from catching Simms’ passes. Simms, of course, became a first-round NFL draft choice with the New York Giants and eventually was a winning quarterback in the Super Bowl.

A CHANCE TO PLAY FOR ROY KIDD AT EASTERN KENTUCKY?

Sang, who signed and played for four years at Eastern Kentucky, was on a recruiting visit to meet with coach Roy Kidd after the 1975 season. When he introduced himself to Kidd, the response from the Hall of Fame coach was “Where’s Terry Bell? Didn’t he come with you?” Kidd apparently wanted Kidd and Sang to both become Colonels. He left the room, made a phone call and learned that Bell had committed to Morehead. Kidd came back into the room seething,

It made for an uncomfortable visit although Sang was offered and had an outstanding career at EKU as a punter and tight end/wide receiver. He was on the 1979 Division I-AA national championship team and later was an assistant coach on EKU’s 1982 national champions.

Bell said he never talked to EKU coaches but did attend a game. Morehead State extended an offer and Bell accepted it.

During Bell’s freshman season at MSU, he lined up at noseguard opposite EKU center Roosevelt Kelly, an All-America center who was drafted into the NFL, and held his own against him, Sang said.

BELL GIVES SHOUTOUT TO TOMCATS’ 1972 STATE RUNNERUPS

Bell said while he appreciates the accolades that are heaped on the JAWS Tomcats, he feels bad for the 1972 Tomcats that were the Class AAA runner-up to Tates Creek who is seldom remembered or mentioned. His brother, Dwight, was on that team, he said, and he remembers the family going to Stoll Field in Lexington for the championship game that the Tomcats lost 16-7.

Bell said he modeled his game after a lineman from that team – All-State guard Steve Justice – and often wondered how the 1972 and 1975 offensive lines compared. Coach Conley has been asked but often shies away from any comparisons for understandable reasons. But strong line play was a common denominator for his best teams.

“They had a great team and a great line like we did,” Bell said of the ’72 team. “I always felt bad because they didn’t get as much recognition as we do. It doesn’t seem right.”

Spoken like a true Tomcat.