The
1995-96 basketball season for the Allen County-Scottsville Patriots was
remarkable---a season that will long be remembered by the team’s players,
coaches, cheerleaders, support staff, and the fans of a basketball-loving
community. Last Friday night, members of the 1996 team reunited at Patriot Gym
to be honored in a short ceremony—a ceremony followed by time for those
associated with the 1996 team to catch up with one another.
Friday’s recognition ceremony at Patriot Gym began with an introduction of players and cheerleaders on the last Allen County-Scottsville Patriot team to play in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association state tournament. The 1996 Patriots capped off a steller season with wins over Monroe County, Franklin-Simpson, and Barren County to win the Region 4 title---the first regional crown for AC-S since 1981.In state tournament play, AC-S defeated Harrison County prior to falling just short in their quarterfinal match-up with eventual state champion Paintsville. AC-S finished the 1996 season with 29 wins---the most ever by an AC-S boys basketball team in a single season.
“We were a band of brothers,” explained team member Chad Costello. “When we started out young, we set a goal and then we reached that goal. We fell a little short of our ultimate goal.”
Costello recalled the role he played in securing the Patriots’ spot in the 1996 state tournament. The scene was the regional title game against Barren County---a Trojan team that had upset the Patriots just over week earlier in the District 15 championship. Barren County was playing their best basketball of the season---evident by their own upset of Greenwood in the regional semifinals. One night later, Costello found himself at the foul line late in a close contest---needing to sink two free throws to give his team a five point lead with only seconds remaining.
“I felt like I was the only person in that gym,” Costello recalled. “I knew that I had to make those two free throws because I knew Barren County could go down and hit a three to tie the game. I don’t know if I could do it again. I felt like I was in a different world. I had stood in my driveway for years practicing for a moment like that, winning a championship.”
Costello worried that Barren County would hit a three proved to be legitimate concern. The Trojans added a three as time expired, too little too late as the Patriots took the game 53-51.
“We are going, Danny ,” were the words of coach J.D. Strange as he fought back tears in the post-game interview on the radio. Strange also pointed out at the time that the Patriots’ seven seniors---Costello, Warren Cunningham, Terry Tracy, Jeremy Harwood, Andre Jackson, Josh Ford, and Wesley Atwood--- were instrumental in helping AC-S reach the goal.
The win was especially special for Strange. Prior to the regional title in 1996, four times, Strange had guided teams to regional finals. Three times at Bell County and in 1995 at AC-S, the coach’s hope of leading a team on the floor at Rupp Arena had been dashed. March of 1996 would be the moment when Strange would celebrate as a team finally carried him to the state tournament.
Friday, Strange was able to be in attendance even though he continues to coach at Pineville. As fate would have it, Pineville was off last Friday thus allowing Strange to make the trip to Scottsville to relive the night with his former players and assistant coaches.
The evening was spent recalling the many fun times from the 1996 season. Players, cheerleaders, and fans shared stories as did the team’s coaches.
“That 1996 ACS team was fun to be around on game day as well as the practice days, constantly working for the one goal, to get back to the 4th region championship game and this time bring it back to Scottsville,” recalled assistant coach Daryl Murphy. “They were a hard working bunch of guys each knowing their role on the team. Very seldom does a coaching staff have the luxury of five senior starters but this squad did. Each starter was different from each other in what they brought to the table and when they were clicking it was going to a great game to watch on a given night.”
After Strange resigned in 1999---in order to be closer to his son in eastern Kentucky----Murphy took the reins of the Patriot program before returning to his roots in Cumberland County. Today, Murphy is an assistant principal at Barren County---working alongside1996 team member and current assistant principal and Barren County coach Warren Cunningham. Yet, Murphy has great memories of his years in Scottsville.
“Fond memories include such things as winning 20 games in a row, being the last undefeated team in the state, the game on the road at Greenwood, the semi-finals game against Franklin-Simpson, 29 wins a school record, getting our first win against Harrison Co., the great community support for the team during the year, and the sea of red and blue at Rupp Arena for the game against Painstville High School,” Murphy said.
Cunningham points out that the team was more than just athletes playing basketball on the court.
“Our team had really good chemistry and everyone knew their role,” Cunningham explained. “We were friends on an off the court. Most of us grew up together and had played sports together for a long time. And I think we had a strong determination that we were going to win the regional title. That was our goal from the beginning of the year. We had coaches that believed in us and really got the most out of our team.”
The current Barren County coach points out that the excitement generated in Allen County is still on his mind.
“The neatest thing about all of it was the excitement our team helped create in our school and in our community,” Cunningham said. “That's probably my fondest memory. Certainly there were some games that stand out, Greenwood, Franklin, and Paintsville in the state tourney.”
Last year, Cunningham’s Barren County squad just missed a trip to the state tournament. Having gone as a player, his hope is that he will someday be able to go as a coach.
“There's no doubt that my experience of winning a regional title as a player helps drive me to get our team there,” Cunningham noted. “I want our players to have that experience of playing in the state tournament and our community to experience that as well.”
Costello notes that “not a day goes by” that he recalls another moment from 1996----the season’s final seconds. Led by Cunningham, the Patriots rallied from a double-digit second half deficit to tie the game at 76 in front of over 10,000 at Rupp Arena.
“I remember how high I went when Warren made the three-point shot to tie the game against Paintsville and then they (Paintsville) throws the ball out,” Costello said. “I’m chasing Tackett down the court. In a matter of seconds, I went from the highest point in my life to the lowest.”
Paintsville’s 78-76 win over AC-S propelled the Tigers to a semifinal win the following morning and to the 1996 state title. Still, Costello is quick to point out that, even in defeat, it was a learning experience.
“I learned more life lessons when we lost that game,” Costello admitted. “It taught me how to deal with feelings, that you don’t always win, and there were so many life lessons and I’m sure it’s that same way for the other guys as well.”
Costello also praised coach Strange.
“Coach Strange made us men,” Costello added. “He made us grow as individuals. He also brought mountain basketball to ACS. And, I owe a lot to every one of my teammates. We all laughed together, cried together, lost together, and dang so won together.”
For team member Andre Jackson, 1996 holds great memories including the acquisition of a nickname---the Bacon Man---from then voice of the Patriots Danny Tabor.
“We were at Nelson County tournament and they had a complementary breakfast,” Jackson recalled. “T grabbed some bacon and it had hair all over it. I started to freak out. Danny Tabor was there and got a big kick out of it. From then on, he called me the Bacon Man.”
On a serious note, Jackson says it was a very special time in his life.
“It was the best time of my life,” Jackson noted. “Making that run to the regional championship was tough. It was days you will also remember and you will not forget.”
The excitement of 1996 also extended to the cheerleaders.
“I started cheering for these guys in little league at the rec center and had the opportunity to follow them until we were seniors,” noted cheerleader Julie Croft. “We were a very close knit group. Being able to cheer them on at the State Tournament was definitely a life-time experience. The team always had such a following even through tournament time. The spirit of the crowd was so contagions. I loved every minute of being part of the team.”
(Below is audio from the Voice of the Patriots Danny Tabor. This is a recap of the season and the run to the regional title. Thanks Danny for sharing.)