Friday- the big night before it all starts

Call it what you want – Big Blue Mania or Meet the Bulldogs, or even Whew, Finally it’s Time for Roundball – this Friday night local basketball fans should answer the call and make it out to the Lindle Castle Gymnasium for the annual pre-season look at our Bulldogs, Lady Bulldogs and cheerleaders.

More details about this week’s event can be found in an article that begins on page 1, but in short, for local basketball fans – it’s a must attend.

Of course when we put the basketballs up after Friday night’s scrimmages and introductions, we will get down to the business of honoring our three newest members to the Clinton County High School Basketball Wall of Fame.

This year’s Wall of Fame Class is certainly one of the most deserving groups we’ve ever had – as all have been – and all are fairly recent standouts in CCHS basketball history.

On the players side, we’ll see Jason Gibson, who brought fans to their feet throughout his career as a Bulldog, finishing with a career 1,361 points (currently seventh) and exploding on several occasions, but most memorable, on January 17, 2002, when he dumped in 43 points against Monticello.

Jason collected a host of other records and accolades that will be announced on Friday night.

For the Lady Dawgs, we bring in the second half of the “twin attack” years – Paige Guffey. Paige, like her twin sister Amber, was quiet when she stepped onto the floor each night, but opponents soon realized she would make plenty of noise every time she touched the basketball.

Wearing No. 50 and sporting a small mole on her neck (it was the only way I could ever tell her apart from twin sister Amber when they weren’t in uniform), Paige Guffey not only still holds the all-time scoring record with 3,088 points, but when the 2004-2005 season got underway for her senior year, she was already the school’s leading point leader (2,320).

I still think the voting media missed a great opportunity to name the twins as Kentucky’s Miss(es) Basketball in 2005. I made that suggestion to a couple of sports reporters during the 2005 state tournament, but only got some inquisitive stares in response.

Finally, this year we bring in a third member – who falls under the category of “special” figures in that he never played the game for Clinton County High and isn’t being recognized as a player.

Instead, Ronnie Guffey will always be one the most recognizable figures to have ever sat on a Clinton County bench – having filled the position of head coach for a total of 12 years with the Lady Dawgs, and four seasons for the Bulldogs, including one season when he finished with an overall record of 29-24, serving as head coach for both.

I spent a lot of time, well a total of 16 seasons, sitting in the chair at the end of the official table, with only a short gap between myself and Ronnie’s chair on the bench, and during that time we developed a great relationship and became good friends. You just can’t think of CCHS basketball, especially Lady Bulldog basketball, without thinking of Ronnie Guffey.

Congratulations to all three of this year’s Wall of Famers – it’s an honor that is greatly deserved by all.

Don’t miss Friday night’s gathering – food at 4:00 – 6:00 in the cafeteria, basketball at 6:00 in the gym.

TURNOVERS

by Alan B. Gibson