[Hoot Gibson]

Late 70's and most of the 80's would be considered Paintsville's best days. Paintsville was a serious contenter to win a state title most of those years. Only the district champion made the playoffs back in those days. Paintsville was ranked one of the tops in the state every year for a reason. When it came playoff time, you didn't see these crazy blowouts you see now days, any team could win on any night. No, Paintsville doesn't have a state championship trophy, they do have a couple runner-up trophies.

Football was king in those days at Paintsville, there was no soccer program, and Johnson Central had a weak program during most of that era. Even then, when the Tigers met the top Class A teams in the state, they almost always lost. I remember watching the Tigers play Lynch several times (before the big mines there closed), and I remember that Paintsville sometimes hung around for a half but the second half always belonged to Lynch. Likewise, I also remember some very good Paintsville teams getting blown out by Belvue and Beechwood.

I am not trying to insult Paintsville's football program or its fans - but whoever takes this job will not be stepping into a position where they will be able to build a team that will compete with Mayfield, Beechwood, and other top Class A teams for state titles. A state title for the Tigers in today's world would be a miracle.

That being said, Paintsville has a very rich football tradition and strong community support. Even Walter Brugh never won a state title at Paintsville, so the likelihood of winning a state title should not factor into anybody's decision of whether to take the job. I think that the Paintsville job, especially with the recent success of the young Tigers teams, is a plum.