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| #32 Alan Hendren, Joey Webb in the middle was good, I am #52, sweating alot |
Most days, when I am at Anderson County HS, I get to walk through a time machine. And, most of the time, if I really think about where I am, I smile real big.
ACHS has a pretty good size gym. But, in the winter of 1980, it looked humongous. That winter was the last time my class in HS had much success in basketball. Our coach was the "Chuck Smith" of basketball, Greg Schepman.
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| Coach Schepman & my HS basketball coach/7th grade science teacher, Gene Middleton*. |
I was a freshman at old Mercer County HS. Our 6th period class everyday was freshman basketball practice with Coach Schepman. While I remember him making sure we knew our plays, most of our time was spent on two drills : 1) deny the ball; 2) box out/ blocking out to rebound. The best news about both of those drills... they required very little athleticism and talent. They did require a great effort and doing exactly what Coach Schepman told you to do. That was perfect for me. I could check both those boxes. We were only in there for less than an hour, but he worked our tails off. He demanded a great effort and that we do exactly what he told us to do. I loved it. When we did not meet his standard, he let us know about it real quick. But, if you were pouring your guts into being the best you could be, he had a way of making you feel like he had respect for you. If you had Coach Schepman's respect, that meant the world to me in those days and it still does today. I tried like crazy, everyday, to do a great job for him and meet that standard.
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| Mercer County Freshman Basketball Team, Winter of 1979-1980 |
Even though I was the least talented player on the team, by the end of the season I was a starter... the only one who was not also on the JV team. I was not very good, but Coach Schepman and I got along great. I would like to think I was his personality on the floor. He knew he could get after me, push me and that I would respond well. He was right. I would run through a brick wall for Coach Schepman.
Early in the year, Boyle, Danville and Harrodsburg all beat us pretty bad. When we played them the 2nd time, we beat Boyle and Danville. Harrodsburg** barely beat us... and they were the best of the three... very good. We played Anderson twice, late in the season, and won both games. One was at Anderson. When I walked in that gym last spring, the first time in 43 years, I could not help but smile and remember how much fun we had that night. The only thing, the gym was not near as big as I remembered it. I guess that is what getting old does to you. Had you asked me to rank gym sizes in 1980, the Bearcat gym would have been ranked only behind Rupp!
After my freshman year, basketball was a struggle. Coach Schepman was no longer my coach. I stunk as a sophomore. My junior year, we were awful, and I was the worst player on the team. I fouled out in less than a quarter my first varsity game. I loved my HS basketball coach, Gene Middleton. He was super to me. During that tough junior year, we had two meetings. In one, he started with, "David, I think we both know your game is football." Another meeting started with, "David, I think we both know basketball is not your game." He was right! And, I appreciated the honesty and no BS.
The day of my last football game in HS, I went by to see Coach Middleton and tell him I was not going to play basketball my senior year. He was super to me as always and told me because I was a good boy, he would save me a uniform and I could come out later in the season. That meant alot to me and I never forgot that conversation. Ironically, just in the past year, I have realized missing that basketball season was a mistake. We were bad. I was worse. But, I still missed out on being on a team and all the experiences that go with it. Most of the time, if your pride is making your decision, you are going to be wrong. I did not want to go from starting quarterback to the last guy on the bench of the basketball team. But, that would have been better than not being on the team. And, experiences that teach me humility are not always fun... but they can help me be a better person.
Last weekend our coaches were riding together to the AFCA Convention in Nashville. We enjoyed hearing Casey Kasem countdown the top songs of 1970 (#80 thru #41), most of them were really good songs that I remember well. I explained to Coach Lucas Shouse, this website is a like a time machine:
For example, if I am at practice on our gamefield, and start thinking about being there with my Dad in September of 1971, I can go to this link and listen to the songs that were on the radio that week. Very cool and I sure do enjoy being able to remember that moment so well.
Here's a good one from the winter of 1980, that starts running through my mind when I walk through that gym with the Bearcat on the wall: Don't Do Me Like That- Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Even cooler.... when I walk from the back hallway, through the gym, and through the gym doors.... I enter another time machine. But, I'll save that story for another time.
In the meantime, I am thankful for that big gym, deny the ball drills, Casey Kasem and Coach Schepman.
** Keith Currens was a great basketball player at Harrodsburg High and is the same age as me. His son, Jesse, is my AD/Boss at Anderson County HS... super person and Boss....Chip off the old block, for sure. I don't think Keith played in that 2nd freshman game in 1980, he was probably Varsity only by that time if not sooner.
