Charles Hurt: a Shelby County Rocket to remember

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BY MIKE FIELDS (Sept. 21, 2016)

Charles Hurt, who died last week at age 55 after a long battle with leukemia, is being remembered for his basketball playing days at Kentucky.

But Hurt played his best basketball at Shelby County, where he was a two-time all-stater and helped the Rockets win the 1978 state title. He hit one of the most memorable shots in Sweet Sixteen history in the championship game against Holmes.

“You couldn’t speak any higher of his character, the way he worked and the way he felt about his team,” said Tom Creamer, who coached Hurt at Shelby County. “In the four years I had him, I don’t remember him complaining about anything. He was just a very unique person, a fine young man.

“He had a lot of talent, but what always impressed me about Charles was that he didn’t want any limelight on him. He wanted it to be on the team. […]

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Rachel Sanford: for the love of running

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BY MIKE FIELDS (Sept. 13, 2016)

LOUISVILLE — Rachel Sanford was never chasing glory or records or celebrity when she was winning an unprecedented five consecutive KHSAA state cross country titles, a remarkable streak of success that began in 1993 when she was only 10 years old.

“I was just out there having fun, enjoying running and being with my family,” she said recently. “It was never really about the winning. It was about the overall experience.”

Now, some 20 years later, Rachel Sanford DeJarnatt can better understand the buzz she created as a wunderkind. On a restaurant patio near her home in Louisville, where she lives with her husband Dee and their two children (2-year-old Andrew and 6-week old Eleanor), Rachel sifted through a box of newspaper and magazine clippings and photos from her time as a childhood champion.

She remembers being upset the day she had to interrupt her recess at Southern Elementary in Somerset to have her […]

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Lynch East Main: once king of the hills and state

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BY MIKE FIELDS (Sept. 6, 2016)

LYNCH – Dig into the history of Kentucky high school football and one shiny nugget you’ll uncover is that the first official state champion hailed from this tiny coal town deep in the hills of Harlan County.

It was a cold, snowy afternoon on November 28, 1959, when Lynch East Main, led by Johnny Powell’s 225 rushing yards and Adam “Bull” Hoiska’s three touchdowns, throttled Henderson Douglass 40-0 at UK’s Stoll Field to win the Class A state title.

It was the first year the Kentucky High School Athletic Association sponsored playoffs in football.

It was also the start of a dynasty for Coach Ed Miracle’s Bulldogs, who reached the Class A finals five years in a row, and eight times in 13 years. They won four championships and were kings of the mountains . . . and the state. 

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Under Beatty, Trinity is 15-0 against Lexington teams

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BY MIKE FIELDS (Sept. 2, 2016)

When Lafayette plays host to Trinity in high school football tonight, the Generals will try to end Lexington’s 16-year streak of futility against Bob Beatty’s Shamrocks.

The last time a Lexington team beat Trinity was in 1999 when Eric Shelton ran roughshod through the Rocks’ defense in leading Bryan Station to a 31-21 playoff victory in Louisville.

That was Kevin Wright’s last year as Trinity’s coach. Beatty took over in 2000, and since then the Rocks have gone 15-0 against Lexington competition. Most of the games have been lopsided, including Trinity’s 70-14 rout of Lafayette last season.

Here’s how the Rocks have dominated Lexington since 2000 (* denotes playoff game):

2000

• 45-10 over Henry Clay*
• 52-21 over Tates Creek*

2001

• 50-0 over Tates Creek*

2002

• 49-7 over Dunbar*

2003

• 25-13 over Dunbar*

2005

• 41-20 over Henry Clay*

2006

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