Mercer County Football Field- A great Christmas present / a lifetime of memories

My favorite Christmas present this year was a picture of our football field at Mercer County. Stephanie had it made from a photo that Caitlin Pendygraft took with her phone on a Thursday night while they were prepping the field.

2015 Mercer Football Field/Christmas Gift

My first time at the field was when my Dad was coaching at Boyle. It was September 22, 1972.  I can remember getting to the field and noticing that the lines were marked with powder (lime) instead of paint. I thought that was strange. I was 7 years old. My grandparents were at the game and I also thought it was unusual that the Mercer band sat on the track in folding chairs to the right of the Mercer sideline as you looked at it from our side of the field. 

Boyle won the game. We had a player ejected and I remember the bus pulling up to the front of the HS, my Dad getting off the bus, and going in to meet with the officials in the Principal's office. I was in that Principal's office a time or two myself!  :)

Later, my Dad would become the head football coach at Mercer and I spent alot of time at that field with him.

Check out the helmet logo. My Dad's attempt to make
the Scottie ferocious.  1977.

The date I will always associate with the Mercer football field is September 24th. In 1970, Robert Allen Yankey, my Dad's quarterback, played his last game on that field in a Rebel victory over the Scotties. Then, in 1982, I played quarterback versus the Rebels on the same date. In my chapter/column on Ed Rall, I shared how incredible the experience was for me to get to the sideline as the captain, see those gold helmets on the sideline, and think about being on that sideline with my Dad, and of course remembering Robert Allen and that he played his last game on that field. I can remember finding my Dad at the gate waiting on me after my game. I had played as well as I could play (I really wasn't very good but I loved HS football and this was my best game.)  10 years earlier, that spot was near the Mercer band. Now, it was my Dad waiting to see me after the game. 

Robert Allen remembered.
September, 1972

September 24, 1982. Mercer vs. Boyle.

In 2015, we used the gamefield for practice every Wednesday & Thursday. And, everyday on that field, I would look at the sideline and think of my Dad & Robert Allen. I would think of being there with my Dad 43 years ago. After starting the season at 0-5, our guys battled to win 6 games in a row and grab a district title. We won that championship on our field.

As we move forward with Titan football, I am looking forward to my old gamefield becoming our practice field. I will be on my old field everyday. I will think of my Dad, Robert Allen, and the guys that have played on that field over the years. From a practical standpoint, this is a great thing for our program. We get to play in a great venue, Alvis Johnson Field, that has new lighting, a new track, new red/blue bleachers & a recently installed bermuda field. Harrodsburg HS had a great football tradition and it will be great to resurrect football in an historic setting. We will gain a much needed full length / width practice field that we do not have right now. The bonus is that we will have lights on this practice field.

There probably aren't many coaches that have their practice field hanging up as a picture in their house. My practice field is a special place. I wouldn't have it any other way.