[Redneck]

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.

I wasn't around during those days, but I can't remember ever seeing anywhere that Paintsville got blown out by any of those teams during that time.