The Rebel Bowl.... why I love it

All photos from the Danville Advocate Messenger

Normally, I am not a big fan of August games on turf at 5 pm on a Saturday.  I am one of those traditionalists that love Friday nights and the short week makes it tougher for the following game. We partner with Boyle and do the bowl games on consecutive Saturday nights to raise significant  funding for the athletic departments at both schools.

Over the past five years though, I have begun to appreciate the Rebel Bowl. It gives me a chance to go back to a place where I had a great time growing up when my Dad was the Boyle coach, but I don't have to deal with the emotions of playing a team that use to be MY team.

We moved to Boyle County in 1969 and were there for five seasons. I was four years old in 1969.  I loved my Dad's players and those guys were super to me. I am a much better person today because of them and whenever I can see them or talk to them, I really enjoy it.  I didn't realize it at the time, but those guys were a huge blessing and had a big impact on how I think and how I try to treat others. Their example changed my life.

Many days I walked across the parking lot after school for practice with my Dad. I was with my Dad alot in those days and really wish I could have one more day with him like I did in the early 70's. When our Titans walk down to do our pregame for the Rebel Bowl, I walk past the sidewalk and door where I would enter the HS to go into the football lockerroom. I can still see all those gold helmets freshly painted in the summer of 1969 scattered all over that sidewalk.  Being in that HS, making that walk, being on that field, I most definitely feel like I am with my Dad again.

I also like the Rebel Bowl because I can be at Boyle but we are not playing Boyle. It will always be weird playing teams that use to be my team. I hated being at Paris or Mason and playing Mercer. I thought I could handle playing Paris after I had been at Mason over 10 years, but I was wrong. We went out for the coin toss and I had this awful feeling. I will never play Paris or Mason County unless I have to do so.

Also, Chuck Smith, the Boyle coach is one of my best friends and has been a great mentor for me. I hate him being on the other sideline. I hated facing Coach Gruneisen when he went to Bourbon. It's no fun facing my old HS coach, Larry French, either. I just don't like it. It doesn't bother me to coach against people that are my friends. I am so old, most coaches are my friends and I am glad for it. But, the ones that you have coached with, it just doesn't feel right.

It's only happened twice, but the best part of the Rebel Bowl for me is that the Titans win, I am getting to visit with some old Rebels, and then I hear the Boyle fight song as the Rebels take the field.  It's like an explosion of memories and people you love that overwhelm you in the moment. 

I'll spend the rest of the week listening to old songs from the early 70's, remembering my Dad, those old Rebels, and those wonderful memories.  I will think about old #11, which I have done everyday since September 25, 1970.* I am also thankful I am coaching a bunch of really good guys, my Titans, that I also believe can be a pretty good football team in 2019. Past, present and future, around every corner, are reminders that God is good and has blessed me more than I deserve.

Hope you can be at the Rebel Bowl Saturday night. I know I am looking forward to it.

*16 mm Film & those Gold Helmets

Cracked Ribs....for a second, he was right there

Today I got to talk to Steve Peyton of the Mercer County Sheriff's office. Steve told me he was a senior at Mercer County HS in the fall of 1972. He played against my Dad's Boyle teams and remembered my Dad as the football coach at Boyle.

Steve said one night he was running the ball back on a kickoff. One Rebel had him by the leg. When he tried to spin out of the tackle, another Rebel came in and cracked him in the ribs. Steve said when he got hurt, he remembered my Dad being the first person to run onto the field to make sure he was alright. Steve added, "Your Dad had a gift when it came to working with young people."

It wasn't a long story and nothing that is unusual on a Friday night in HS...  guys get their ribs cracked all the time. But, every time someone tells me a story about my Dad, it feels like he is standing right there with me for just a second.

Friday, August 16th, is my Dad's birthday. It  only seemed right that he would have his birthday right before the football season gets started.  I will miss him but will also thank God that he gave me a wonderful Dad.  One of the best parts of being back home is to hear those stories. Those moments are comforting and help me count my blessings.

Vince Lombardi: The Lombardi You Thought You Knew

Reprinted from the Maysville Ledger Independent. edited by Zack Klemme

Me as a little guy, pretending to be Lombardi's Packer QB, Bart Starr

I’ve been fascinated with Vince Lombardi my entire life. When I was little, Bart Starr was my favorite NFL player and the Packers were my favorite team. I switched to Fran Tarkenton & the Vikings when Starr retired. As an American icon, there is more information than a person can sort through in a lifetime on Coach Lombardi. I’ve read several books about and written by Lombardi. If I listed them all, that would complete my word count for this column! 

The commonly held view of Coach Lombardi is of a hardnosed, win at all costs, dictatorial leader who had incredible success and many regard as the greatest NFL coach, and possibly the greatest football, or for that matter, coach of any sport. Ironically, one rival for the title of the greatest coach of any sport could be John Wooden. From the outside, the two men are very different- emphasis on the outside. On the inside, they share many similarities.I would argue that Lombardi is like all of us – a complex personality who does not fit into an easy to label category. 

Herb Adderly became a Hall of Fame defensive back for the Green Bay Packers. According to Lombardi’s Run to Daylight, the coach was convinced that Adderly’s skills were best suited for offense but he continued to struggle. When Lombardi found out that Adderly wanted to play defense, he switched him to that side of the ball. Most of us given that scenario might envision Lombardi believing that he knew best and insisting that Adderly continue to play offense but that is not what happened. He listened and adjusted his plan.

For me, this picture is a more realistic look at Lombardi. Most great leaders listen to the people around them. In fact, of all the books on Lombardi, Run To Daylight is my favorite. Coach Lombardi wrote it as a diary of one week in the season. I think it gives a much more accurate picture of who he was and how he operated- or at least how he saw himself and/or wanted others to see him. When I read the book, it was not what I expected at the time. But now, his words sound like the words of an outstanding leader and it makes a lot more sense to me in how he was able to accomplish the things he and his teams did.

A common mistake we all make is to assume we know what a person thinks based on their political party, religion, etc. Almost every president, at some point in his term(s), has members of his own party angry because he did not believe or do what they thought he should. Lombardi was a great coach but still a human being like all of us- a complex mixture of ideas and beliefs that have nuances that are, at times, even difficult for us to articulate.

From a football perspective, one of Lombardi’s most lasting and significant influences is the idea that you do a FEW things extremely well as a football team as opposed to trying to do several things, or trying to trick your opponent. In Run to Daylight, he says, “every game boils down to doing the things you do best and doing them over and over again.” At Mason County, we may try to make things LOOK different, change the tempo, etc. but we try to do the same things our kids have done from the beginning when playing for the Knights. Most very good coaches believe in this philosophy and it is a big part of the culture of football.

Of course Lombardi was a great leader and understood football. To me, the Lombardi “mystique” came from, for lack of a better term, his spirit and connection to the essence of what makes football a GREAT game. In David Maraniss’, When Pride Still Mattered, Lombardi shares an experience he had as a player in the locker room after a game in high school which his team had lost. He called it a “locker room epiphany.” 

“He was overcome by joy, a rare feeling for him…He understood he was not a great player, but he had fought hard, given his best and discovered that no one on the field intimidated him, no matter how big or fast. He was 
confident…He felt fatigue, soreness, competitive yearning, accomplishment- and all of this, he said later, left him 
surprisingly elated. …It was an intoxicating sensation, one that he would want to experience again and again for the rest of his life.” (p. 30)

For me, what he describes, is why guys talk about HS football long after it is over. It is why for some guys they continue to play the game as long as they can play. And, although coaching is a long way from playing, it is part of the reason that coaches keep walking through that office door long after their family and friends think they have lost their mind and need to move on. As a coach, when you see your players have that type of experience or as Lombardi said, “epiphany”, you have helped them get what your players want and need most from football. For some guys, the football field is the first time you ARE the man you want to BE as an adult. Lombardi got that.

The Day I almost got my tail kicked bad at Bright Leaf Pool

In the spring of 1983, I was hired at Bright Leaf as a lifeguard and also to take care of any odd jobs or maintenance that was pretty simple. I don't know how to do a whole lot, but I was at least strong enough to replace a motel room AC unit. When it would be really hot, it seems like most days were spent carrying those AC units up and down the steps of the motel on a dolly. Those things could get heavy pretty quick.

Early in the spring of 1983, I was picking up trash in the parking lot. While doing so, an older guy drives up in a beat up pick up truck. His clothes are dirty and looks like he couldn't rub two nickels together. He gets out of his truck and is not happy about how the parking lot or grass in front of the parking lot looks. He says, "You tell Jerry (my boss) this needs to be cleaned up immediately"... in so many words. I have no idea who I'm talking to. I say, "Sir, can I tell Jerry who all of these instructions are from?" He says, "Sure. My name is Blankenship. I own the place." It was Buck Blankenship the owner of Bright Leaf.

When I did get to lifeguard, instead of "work", most of the time it was pretty good. One Sunday afternoon, though, I was in over my head. A group of golfers was finishing their 18 holes by playing bumper cars with their golf carts on the putting green.  Apparently they had enjoyed drinking a few beers through the day. Lucky me, they decided to come to the pool after playing golf. In this group, a handful of them were pretty big..... 6'4 or 6'5... probably around 250 lbs, etc.  They sat at a corner table with an umbrella at the pool and were having a pretty good time and loud.

My Boss's wife was an attractive lady. As she walks by those guys, they begin whistling and hollering. My boss comes walking down the sidewalk next to the pool. He makes eye contact with me. He snaps his fingers, points at the table of guys, and says, "David, take care of that!" I'm thinking.... good grief, what am I going to do??

I walk over to the table and say to them, "Guys, that is my Boss's wife. You can't do that." They stand up and I am looking up at all of them. The one right in front of me says, "You know, we can set you on your ear right now." I said, "Yes, I know that. I am just doing my job. You can't yell at her."  I guess he felt sorry for me. He told me he understood and ok, that they would leave her alone. To say I was relieved would be an understatement!

If you go to Bright Leaf Pool for Memorial Day weekend, have a great day. And, please don't whip the lifeguard!

John's Grandson

Sunday JCB graduated from Centre. On Monday, he and Caroline got engaged. Here is a reprint of the last column I wrote for the Maysville Newspaper in 2014. It is also in Black Shoes & White Shoestrings. 

John Combs and the other #71, my Dad. Photo by Cheri Johnson

What got me writing this column was being a coach’s son. So, it seems that I should make my last column about a coach’s son- my son, John Combs Buchanan (JCB). 

The most unique part of raising JCB in Maysville has been to see him become an outstanding pianist. As a young dad, the thought never crossed my mind, “I hope my son can play the piano.” This community has helped to make that happen, and CJ Hunter was the biggest part of that development. Both sides of our family have wanted JCB to continue playing the piano. I know if Stephanie’s mom had been able to hear him play she would have been overwhelmed by his ability. This is one of the few places that appreciate his music more than his football. But, for me, it is a lot harder to find an inside linebacker in Mason County than it is to find someone that can play the piano.

It’s a great experience, as a dad to get a good look at the man your son will become. For me, that first moment came the Friday night at Highlands in JCB’s sophomore year. We had been 1-7 over the past 8 weeks, stretching from 2011 to 2012. That night in Fort Thomas, we were facing one of the best programs in the nation. 


Early in the season, I had decided that I did not need to choose captains or weekly awards any more because my son was on the team. That job would go to our assistant coaches. Moments before we would take the field, our coaches told me our captains for the night & one of them was JCB.

It was ironic they picked him because he & I were both in the doghouse with his mom and the rest of the family that night. They were not at the game and had hit the wall with me and my preference for making a tough schedule. I will admit I had made a mistake. The perfect storm had hit and the schedule had taken a toll on our team, players, coaches, and my family.

As we walked to midfield, I can’t describe the emotion of getting ready to face the challenge before us, together. That game had been talked about over and over again in our house during the past year. It struck me as we walked out for the coin toss JCB’s poise, confidence, excitement, and eagerness to face the challenge. He played very well and our kids did great. We didn’t win, but we played very hard and our kids were not intimated. After the game, JCB talked at length about how much he had enjoyed the total experience of playing the Bluebirds on their turf. That was his first night of being the man that God has called him to be- I could not have been happier or more proud.

JCB & Caroline after a big November Playoff Win in 2013. He is still mad I made him wear the neck roll from 1970.

Our first game his junior year was a strong reminder he was growing up on me a lot faster than I wanted. I was walking in to the locker room after taking care of some things on the field. As I turned the corner, I saw him talking to his girlfriend, Caroline, and a couple of her friends. He never saw me. We had won, he had played well, and I was glad he was so happy. Later that night I went back for a walk on our field, something I often do after a ballgame. In the past, I usually had JCB with me for those. But, this night I was by myself and I really missed him being there. It reminded me of something I had heard my dad tell my mom when I was growing up. He had said, these kids don’t belong to us, they belong to God, and it is our job to raise them for the day they are no longer here. Stephanie disagrees! But, I understand what he meant and I try to celebrate the memories and that I see him becoming the man God called him to be, even though I will really miss him when he is no longer under our roof.

One of the toughest conversations I ever had with my dad was when he told me we were leaving Boyle County. I was devastated. My dream had been to wear a gold helmet just like my heroes Charlie Mayfield, Robert Allen Yankey, James Terrance, Lee Glasscock, James Scruggs, Dickie Mayes, Monty Wilkerson and those other Rebel football players. As I look back on it, I realize God’s plan is the best plan and I would not trade the relationships and experiences I gained wearing a red helmet at Mercer. Still, I really wanted JCB* to get to wear a BLUE helmet, like his heroes wore when he was growing up. He wanted that and I did too. 

Most coaches don’t get to be in the same place for 19 years, but that has worked out for our family. There have been some great players (both in regards to talent & effort) and coaches, very supportive friends, and a community that made that happen. My son got to play for a great staff of assistant coaches and wear a blue  helmet. I was on the front row for every bit of it. Thank you.

*Trosper is as excited about being a Titan as John Combs was about being a Royal!

Photo by Arpan Dixit of the Harrodsburg Herald

The Firm- Smith, Smith, Coverdale & Holcomb

Trosper & Coach Chuck Smith, November 2014

This was from my column in the Maysville paper and later added it to BLACK SHOES & WHITE SHOESTRINGS. 


I hear an expression several times through the season (including last week) and every now and then during the offseason: The Firm.

The Firm is Smith, Smith, Coverdale and Holcomb: specifically, Homer Smith, Chuck Smith, Andrew Coverdale, and Mike Holcomb.

John Arn, our former offensive line coach and defensive coordinator, came up with the phrase. Shawn Thompson, the defensive coordinator before John, was the first to announce that the way to get me to do something was to call Chuck Smith and tell him the situation, and Chuck would call me and make me do it.

My coaches sometimes claim that if an idea does not come from The Firm, I am not going to do it. That's not true, but I will admit those four guys are great coaches and great resources when I have a question.

I never met Homer Smith, but he is regarded as one of the greatest offensive minds in the history of the game. He held several positions, including the offensive coordinator job at both UCLA and Alabama. He was also the head coach at Army in the 1970s. Coach Smith passed away in April 2011. Coach Smith put together a number of manuals on football, coaching and teaching. I have most of them. His ability to explain football concepts and the teaching of the game was incredible. He wrote one complete manual devoted to practicing football, and you can apply the information in his manuals to any offensive system. Sometimes in preparing for an opponent, when I see a coach being creative in getting players across the midline, I immediately think of Coach Smith.

In 2005, Fleming County had the best team they have put on the field in my 19seasons here. Jordan Fritz was their quarterback and we were coming off a 1-9 season. Our offensive game plan came straight from Homer Smith’s concepts. Our kids executed the game plan to near-perfection and we won a game that many thought would be a blowout loss for us. If a young guy wants to learn the
game of football, I would get my hands on everything written by Homer Smith.

The other Smith is Chuck Smith, whom I have written about before. I regard Chuck as one of the best defensive coaches and high school head coaches in the history of the state, winning five (six) state titles at Boyle County. What he did with the linebackers at Kentucky was also outstanding. Besides being a great coach, Chuck’s philosophies on football and people are consistent with mine.I sometimes call and ask Chuck football questions, but most of the time when I call him it is about dealing with people -- staff, players, administration, etc. I even called Chuck to ask him if writing this column was a good idea. As you might have figured out, he said yes.

Andrew Coverdale is the offensive coordinator at Trinity in Louisville. When we were getting ready to play Breathitt County in the 2003 Recreation Bowl, Coach Coverdale was kind enough to let us use video from the Shamrocks' 2002 state championship game versus Male. Male and Breathitt County ran similar defenses, and I wanted to see how Trinity attacked the Bulldogs' defense.Trinity's QB was Brian Brohm. Ours was Dustin Grutza. We got a lot of good ideas from that video. Dustin and our kids executed that game plan exceptionally well in the Rec Bowl versus Breathitt County. Through the years, when I have had ideas and questions about offensive concepts, Coach Coverdale has been a great resource.

Mike Holcomb is the head football coach at Letcher County Central and led Breathitt County to three state titles. Most people believe when Hal Mumme came to UK in 1997, that is what started the advent of the spread passing game in the state of Kentucky, but Coach Holcomb had the Bobcats throwing the ball and winning back-to-back state titles in 1995 and 1996. Mumme, Mike Leach, Tony Franklin and Chris Hatcher are outstanding football coaches who helped make Kentucky high school football more wide-open, but the first to make it go were Coach Holcomb and Mike Whitaker at Leslie County, who had a pretty good QB named Tim Couch.

Because of my experiences playing QB in high school, we have never had a five-step-drop pass play from under center on any team I have coached. The timing required and the pass protection ability needed by the O-line is tough on a high school player. Whenever we had a five-step pass play called in high school, I knew I was going to get blasted. As I got older and matured, I realized if I was going to get hit, I might as well complete the pass, and I quit worrying about it. When we finally put in a five-step pass package at Mason County, we did so from the shotgun to help with the protection issues. Coach Holcomb was the coach I went to for help in setting up our five-step passing concepts. I don’t know anyone that has a better grasp of the passing game than Mike Holcomb.

Though I do use guidance from The Firm, most of my decisions are really our decisions as a staff. I do pull rank at times and make the call as the head coach, but when I do go along with an idea that I am not crazy about from one of my  assistants, I just tell them to “make it work.”

And yes, I got that from Chuck.

Coach Cal, Coach K & Colossians 3:23

One of the best parts of being a dad, playing basketball with Trosper on a warm spring night over the years

Coach Cal and Coach K sure don't need me to defend them. Those guys have had incredible careers and I can't imagine anyone a better fit for the programs they lead. But, the social media criticism of these guys who are at the top of their profession, despite the fact that they lost the last game they coached,  is a great reminder that pleasing people is an impossible task.  

Colossians 3:23 says... "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters". (NIV)

Aaron Hogue, the leader of the University of Kentucky's Fellowship of Christian Athletes, explained to the HS coaches at our clinic a couple weeks ago, that we are all performing for an "audience of One."  That "One" is Jesus Christ.

A few years ago, a parent told me that she would hate to have my job and trying to keep everyone happy. I explained that I am not trying to keep anyone happy!  That would be impossible. Even if that was my goal, every decision I made to please one group of people would make another group angry, or they would disagree, etc. Pleasing people is impossible and is therefore a waste of time.  I told the parent, I do what is right and let the rest take care of itself.

Colossians 3:23 helps me to focus and keep the noise out. Ultimately, I answer to ONE, my LORD & Savior, Jesus Christ. That focus is liberating. Your guide becomes God's Word... not trying to read people's mind and figure out how to keep everyone happy with you or liking you. He rescues me from the impossible task of pleasing people. 

If you are chasing your tail, trying to please people, you will reach an incredible level of exhaustion and frustration. Quit wasting your time, and SERVE HIM. Serve the One who gave His all for You.