The Paducah Sun from Paducah, Kentucky • 44

v- VPACi 1-0 SUN4)EM0CRAT, PADUCAH, KENTUCKY SUNDAY, AUGUST 17, U75 power The Mouse That Roared is now one of lions onship in scramble for First District champi two of the finest teams in Class 0" Ui0 sports aa both have experience at split end and John Knight (64 and 185), who spent three years in the backfidd, has been moved to tight end to provide an additional target. The formidable aerial arsenal is fortified by a power-packed running game fueled by Daryl Tilford, a 5-10, 190-pound senior, and Clarence Johnson, a 54, 180-pound junior and Shelby Howard, a 175-pound junior, is making a bid to shoulder his way in among the veterans. The interior line is anchored by Mark Rose, a 6-1, 203-pound 1974 Results tackle who wfll be starting for the third year and was named an AU-West Kentucky conference player in 1974. Robert Jones, a 175-pound junior, lends further experience to the line. The only new faces wiU be David Fowlkes, a 6-L 175-pound junior center; Alan Hughes, a 5-9, 175-pound sophomore; and Culley Travis, a 64, 180-pound senior.

Other front Une players on offense will be guard Scott Childress, tight end Keith Kranz and sophomore backup quarterback Bob Wrinkle. Several offensive starters wiU double on the defensive unit along with Pat Thomason, a 64, 198-pound sophomore guard and tackle; David Cook, a 64, 185-pound senior tackle; and Gary Parrott, a 5-11, 160-pound senior linebacker. "We're fuU of veterans, but that doesnt mean so much all the time," Coach Haskins observed, "this is the most balanced team we've ever had in size and numbers. We don't have a lot of seniors but it's good for Heath. "Offensively and defensively, we're above the balance but we have a little depth problem.

Key injuries could just knock us out of it." That or a panzer division. By PAT MO YNAHAN Sun-Democrat Sports Editor During the four years of its football life, Heath High School has enjoyed its role as The Mouse That Roared. Before class restructuring by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, Heath was one of the smallest schools in Class A Most years, the Pirates barely had enough players to conduct intrasquad scrimmages. Every year, Heath found itself ridiculously outsized and heavily outmanned in nearly every game. Nevertheless, the swashbucklers had a joUy old time bumping around among the big boys.

They put together four consecutive winning seasons, won a McCracken County championship and compiled the best record (24-15-1) among county teams. Suddenly, the roar rising from the Heath training camp has the cadence of the King of Beasts, the clamor of a contender. Heath has more players and more experienced personnel than in any previous year and the Pirates have more meat than the local packing houses. The Bocs, 32 strong, return 11 starters from team that went 54 in 1974. The backfidd is intact and Heath needs only three recruits In the offensive line.

The backfleld runs from 160 to 190 pounds and the line goes from 160 to 205. Three returnees have started regularly for two years already and a fourth has been, a frontliner for three seasons. As a result, most coaches in the First District of Class streamlined to include only with enrollment less than 400, expect Heath to be among the challengers for a playoff berth. Pirate Coach Jack Haskins, who usually anticipates the black cloud rather than the silver lining, is wary of big game hunters, however, and reluctant to abandon the mouse's burrow. "I feel we'll definitely be tougher than last year," he observed.

"But at the same time, the league will be tougher." "I don't really see where you can give anybody the nod. "We'U be an exciting team but we're playing some awfully good teams. The class changes put us in schools with our own size but we picked up Russellville and Ft. Campbell, which over the years have been A. "RusseUvUle has one of the best quarterbacks in the state.

Crittenden County is loaded. Fulton County is big and un-believeably quick. Fulton City has just had one of its two best seasons ever. And you never know about Ft Campbell since it's on an Army base." That makes a contender out of everyone in the district but Ballard Memorial and McLean County, which have started varsity footbaU programs within the past three years. Whoever comes out of the scramble wiU have to survive a scrap with the fiesty Pirates who appear now to have the bite to back up their bark and the muscle to match.

Heath wfll meet every team in the district except McLean Heath won't have to wait long to find out just how much muscle it has. The Pirates open an 11-game schedule at home Aug 29 against Mayfield. Senior Terry Fletcher, 5-11 and 170 pounds, will be starting his third year at quarterback and he'll have another three-year veteran to which to throw in Ardell Nance, a 5-9, 160-pound wide receiver. Seniors Tommy Fletcher (54 and 160) and Stan Harris (6-2 and 170) i My.how the times they are a changin'. kNo more will fans have to sit two hours in a drenching rain only to see Paducah Tilghman and Hopkinsville trudge to a 0-0- tie.

Never again -will Tilghman and MayQeld -meet in a seasonnending donnybrook to decide the district championship. for the first time, on the other hand, schools with relatively new programs like Heath, Lone Oak, Marshall County and Reidland and those limited in manpower by enrollment like Fulton County and Crittenden County will have a ralistic chance for a district title and state "playoff berth. el For the first time, there will be no ties in high school football games. The Kentucky High School Athletic Association has made radical changes in the high school football format for 1975 by doubling the number i of classes and adopting a tie-breaker play While few coaches are dissatisfied with where they fall in the new structure and some are disturbed that a game can come down to four plays, most 'agree the changes will magnify the excitement -in a sport already hysterical. Rivalries like that between Paducah (Tilghman and Mayfield may well diminish since Ithe battle will no longer provide the extra plum of a district crown.

But new ones win emerge to take their place within the new districts and classes. Schools like Fulton City, Fulton County and (Heath which were at the bottom of the enrollment scale, can get excited about football (now. Before, about all they could shoot for was a (Winning season. Now, they can seriously gear for 1 a run at a district championship because the schools which have simply outmanned 'them in their class have been placed in another OPP I Mayfield 27 II FnltooClty S3 I Murray Ugh Reidland 7 Fnltn County is Cairo, 111. Lone Oak 27 II Crltteodea County 7 21 WebsterCoaaty 7 I Marshall County MS TotaU Oi 1975 Schedule Aug.

2t Mayfield Trigg County a Sept. 12 Fulton City Sept. II Reidland A Sept. 21 Fulton County Oct. Cairo, HL A Oct II Lone Oak Oct 17 Crittenden Coon ty Oct.M Ft Campbell A Oct.Sl RniiellviBe Nov.

7 Ballard Memorial A Crittenden sees improved record one. The merits CLASS A A REGION I DISTRICT 1-Caldwell County, Mayfield, Murray, Reidland, Todd Central, Trigg County, Webster County. DISTRICT 2 Adair County, Butler County, Edmonson County, Green County, Hart County, Taylor County. CLASS AAA REGION I DISTRICT 1 Lone Oak, Marshall County, Union County, Henderson City. DISTRICT 2 Allen County, Barren County, Franklin-Simpson, Glasgow, Ohio County, Warren Central, Warren East.

CLASS AAAA-STATE REGION I DISTRICT 1-Bowling Green, Christian County Hopkinsville, Madisonville, Paducah Tilghman. DISTRICT 2 Apollo, Daviess County, Henderson County, Owensboro, Owensboro Catholic. The tie -breaker The 10-Yardline Plan recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations will be used to resolve games which end in a tie. According to Billy Wise, assistant to KHSAA Commissioner Joe Billy Mansfield, coaches and administrators voted 180-20 in favor of the plan last year. The system functions much the same as extra innings in baseball.

Each team will get a series of four downs from the ten-yard line in each extra period just as each team in a baseball game gets a turn at bat in each extra inning. If the first team on offense scores, the other still has a chance to tie again or win. The game will proceed with as many extra periods as is necessary to decide a winner. Oklahoma used the plan last year and a game which was 7-7 at the end of regulation play ended up 49-12. The overtime period will begin three jninutes after the completion of the fourth quarter.

The visitor wiU call a coin flip and the winner will have the same three options as the team that wins the toss at the beginning of the game: offense, defense or end of the field. If additional extra periods are necessary, the first choice of options will alternate and a two-minute intermission wiU faU between periods. After the toss, one team win get four downs to score from the ten. Then, the other team will get four downs on the same end of the field. Four downs are not guaranteed, however.

An offensive series can end on a fumble or pass interception as it does during regulation play. Similarly, a team can get a first down through a pass interference caU, recovery of a fumble following an interception, etc. A team can score on a field goal or a touchdown and try for one or two points after the TD. Regardless of what the first team does, however, the second will get a series of downs. If the first does not score, the game ends immediately when the second does just like in extra innings in baseball.

If neither score or both score the same number of points, they go into another extra four-down series. Several other rule changes have been adopted, most of them minor. Players wfll be disqualified or ejected from the game for spearing which is "deliberately and maliciously driving the helmeted head into a player who is down, or who is held so he is going down, or who is held so his forward progress is stopped, or who is obviously out of the play." Coaches' time outs have been reduced from four to three but coaches win not be charged for timeouts for injured players. And a member of the passing or offensive team wiU not be allowed to bat a backward pass in flight forward. of the tie-breaker speak for Jthemselves.

Four-class structure I The KHSAA has divided state schools into four classes according to enrollment. Class iAAAA includes schools in Jefferson County (28 Jtotal) and those around the state with an enroll-jment of 1,000 or more (27) Class AAA consists of schools with 600 to 1,000 students (37); Class AA, from 400 to 600 (48); and Class less, than 400 (58 schools). The classification, based on 1973-74 enrollment, is for a period of two years. I Class AAA A is separated into two divisions Jefferson County and State. The Jefferson County division is made up of two regions and the state division.

is splintered into tour regions with two districts in each. Playoffs will be conducted at the district and regional levels and regional winners will meet for division titles. The division champions will battle for the state Class AAAA title in Louisville on Dec. 5. Each of the other three classes consists of four regions with two districts and the playoffs will proceed in the same manner as they did in Class A and Class AA previously.

Finals for Passes AA and AAA will be staged Nov. 28-29 at Western Kentucky University. District champions win still be decided by the Dickinson Rating System. If two teams tie for the championship, the winner will be decided in a playoff. Here is the First Region breakdown by class: CLASS A REGION I DISTRICT 1 Ballard Memorial, Crittenden County, Fort Campbell, Fulton City, Fulton County, Heath, Russellville, McLean County.

DISTRICT 2 Campbellsville, Caverna, Clinton County, Cumberland County, Gamaliel, Hancock County, Metcalfe County, Tompkins-yille. What to wear vSS, to the Chuck Wagon, I even iff that happens to be I I iff a fancy restaurant. I FAR AH 1 II SPORTSWEAR llll I II Western Style JlWv I i (A Coordinating 1 I II Dress Western jf I II Slacks jL I A I 'fj I II The Store Fof A Seajow I I I PADUCAH MALL I II OPEN NIGHTS A I I II TILL I PM I i II SUNDAYS 14 11 ll Farah's lime Out West is a look llll I I inspired by the wide open spaces. And it looks great upiown, downtown, ft Vv wherever you roam. proving.

WeVe got a couple of real good fullbacks and my offensive line's shaping up real wen, too," he said. The "real good fullbacks" are Danny Hodges, at 6-2, 210 pounds, and Paul Fritz, a 6-1, 190-pounder, and Cherry has four men competing for the halfback slots. They're Mark Hanby (54, 160 lbs.) and Don Thomas (64, 170 lbs.) both of whom saw action at the position last season, and Pat Taylor, 5-9, 170 and Mike Tlnsley, a 5-9, 150ound speedster. Mare seniors. There are four more seniors battling it out for the end slots, including Donnie Mills (6-1, 155 Mike Norman (64, 180 Mike Templton (64, 170 lbs.) and Sheldon Howerton (5-10, 175 Greg Brantley, a 6-1, 190-pounder, and Mike Cook, who stands 5-10 and weighs in at 180, have the guard positions nailed down, and Kent Sturgeon, a linking 6-2, 225-pounder, has possession of one of the tackle With the exception of Mike Hunt, a 54, 160-pound senior, who wfll specialize in defense, Coach Cherry says, "That's mainly the nucleus.

I use just about the same crew on defense. They're interchangeable, and they're the cream of the crop. I do have some pretty good freshmen coming along, too," he added. He said Hunt wfll also be used to fill in at either halfback or fullback as the situation warrants. Cherry is reasonably optimistic about bis chances with the high number of veterans on his roster, but he also wonders about the future.

In only his second year as head coach here, Cherry has had less experience on the Rocket gridiron than most of his upperclassmen players, and he worries half-jokingly about what win happen when this year's crop of seniors is gone. The only direction the Rockets can take, however, is up. In 1973, the Crittenden 11 finished with a 1-10 showing, scoring only 80 points while allowing opponents a total of 300. In Cherry's first year, the Rockets lost eight and won two, scoring just 63 total points but limiting foes to 115. 1974 remit cc SI OPT SI I CalaWl Carat; UacOak carter Cauty FakaaCity TriaCtaafy KaaMUrtk Beata MarafcaDCaaatr -FalaaCaaafjr IMah 1975 schedule Aaf.8 LaacOak WebfUrCaury BteLtaiCMatj Pitta THaCaaaty BaaKiMOe ritaa1 Bcatk aMadlCaarty BaJartMraMrial FkhaiCaaBty Seat I Seat 11 Statu Seat It Oct! OetM Octn Ort.M Orl.ll Nrw.l By RICHARD HAUCKS S-D Night Sports Editor MARION, Ky.

Struggling through the 1974 ootbaU season to a final 2-8-1 embarrassment, the Crittenden County Rockets barely got off the Class A launching pad. But Coach Roy Cherry, this year using the same agents to fuel the Crittenden attack, says things wUl be changing in Marion in 1975. "We're gonna give 'em a run for their money this time around," the affable skipper predicts. "We took a few on the chin last year, but we're gonna dish it out this year. Come the 29th (the Rockets' season opener), well be ready to get into the middle of it." Although he lost 10 seniors by graduation, including former Western Kentucky Conference picks Randy Poindexter (linebacker) and Mike Taylor (halfback), Coach Cherry says he has 10 more to line up against Lone Oak in the Rockets' home opener.

The only junior on Crittenden's side of the field will be veteran quarterback Jimmy Hughes. Hughes, in whom Cherry has utmost confidence, is a solid 5-10, 160 pounds. The Crittenden mentor is also confident in his backfleld. In fact, he's pleased with his entire offense. "I think we're im- Ricky Cheirs or sophomore George Fair.

"The three men deep win come from David Robinson, Hansford Robertson, Jimmy Sledge or Roy Eddington," Coach Whitby believes. Robinson is a speedy, 54, 130-pound sophomore, while Sledge is 5-10 and weighs 138 pounds. Coach Whitby views bis team's chances of improving its 1974 slate of 44 somewhat philosophically. "We're not too optimistic and we're not going to be pessimistic about it either well just let the chips fan where they may," he said. "Maybe if we win four or five in a row well know something, course if we lose four or five in a row I guess well know something from that, too," the coach joked.

"But I think the first four games will determine how we're gonna do as far as this Class A race goes," he added. The Pilots get their first workout of the season against arch-rival Class A foe Fulton City on Sept 5. From there, the Fulton County squad moves on to other Class A contests with Cairo, HL, High School and Ft CampbelL SWIMMING DOVER, Eng. Job a CM- aadeat, duplicated ail father feat atxn he completed taa-aaj mnm af -toe Engli Channel Fulton County's Whitby cautiously optimistic over 1 975 grid season Jones (54, 170 pounds) and Parnell will serve as tackles, while senior Larry Powefl (5-11, 155 pounds) and senior Blane Malone (6-2, 288 pounds) as well as Doug Akers win work in the end spots. Either Steve Akers or Glen Walker wUl snap the pigskin.

Walker and Parnell form the main thrust of the Fulton County defensive line, while Doyle Thompson and Gary Kinney make up the rest of the "four down men" complement Caldwell, Reeves and WaU win try for the defensive end positions. Hickerson has one of the linebacker slots nailed down, with the other going to either 1974Results when Amberg was injured early in the season. "Both of them played a lot last year," Whitby said. "We alternated them in and out for most of the season after Amberg got hurt, so both have experience." Reeves, a senior, stands at 5-I and weighs in at 165 pounds, while Bennett, a junior, is also 54 and 15 pounds lighter than Reeves at 150. The 1174 Pilot backfleld win retiri useathed, and will featEre aa added attraction in the formidable person of senior Ricky Paraell, working a parttlme fallback slot.

Physically the biggest asset to the team, Parnen ia 6-4 and tips the scales at a fun 225 pounds. "Ricky's a real good athlete, and be moves weD for a big man," Whitby observed. Other backfleld hopefuls include Elmer Caldwell and Hansford Robertson, 6-1, 175 and 5-10, 165, respectively, and sophomores Joe Wall and Jame wuo. Heading up the offense line wfll be senior Hilton HIckersoo, a 5-11, lS-pounder in one of the guard slots, with 54 junior Ronnie Adams and 5-7 sophomore Jess Bohanan competing for the other. Jackie Clark, a (4, 215-pound junior, sophomore Sammy By RICHARD HAUCKS I S-D Night Sports Editor HICKMAN, by the graduation of six starters from last year's squad, worried about a late start in practice and contending with the ever-present problems of being one of the smallest footban schools in Western Kentucky, Fulton County Coach Jim Whitby has begun plotting a cautious course for the 1975 Pilot gridders.

i Coach Whitby, heading into his fifth year as the Fulton County skipper, said bis main problem may weO be the late start his squad is getting. Due to reasons, be explained, the Pilot crew was unable to attend its traditional footban camp, and the players are just now beginning to sharpen up skills which stiD have a bit of summer dullness about them. peipite the Ion the' sectors nwmdtng four-year quarterback Jack Amberf tad standout linebacker and center Preston Pearson Whitby has a wealth of veterans doing the sharpening. Among the returnees are quarterback candidates Terry Reeves and Ttomy Bennett, bofh of whom alned a good -deal experience last year Marfan Oiaalj I FaltaaCttT LneOafc I Beata a I D)u I HWavTtaa. II rniwi I OtttafcaCNaty 11 1975 Schedule Sestl FthMOtr A SeatU A SeatB ftCaanael I SeatK Beat A Ortl DywCaaarr.Yeaa.

Octtt SMtante.Tem A Ottl7 Bab, Teas. OetM Octn MaraaaUOaarr Nar.T Crtttaaaaa CaaXjr A 5V YOTLL FIND ROTH'S HAS THE VCV l-ARGEST SELECTION OF FARAH yVV I SPOKTSWEAR IN THE AREA. 'nV' i i.