High School Football

Do you know your high school area football? If so, this is your chance to win a three-month subscription to The Advocate-Messenger or have your current subscription extended by three months. Simply answer these questions and return them to Larry Vaught, Sports Editor, Box 149, Danville, Ky., 40422, by Aug. 15. 1. What was the score and year of the final home football game played at Lancaster High School? 2. Name eight of the 11 head football coaches since Garrard County started playing in 1964?

Seth Tamme established himself as one of the state's top receivers last year when he caught 73 passes for 1,419 yards and 15 touchdowns for Boyle County. He also managed to find time to make 48 tackles and pick off five passes from his spot in the Boyle secondary. Those numbers, and his knack for making big plays at key times, are why Tamme ranks as the area's top returning senior in a poll of The Kentucky Advocate sports department. However, he wasn't a unanimous choice. Staff writer Mike Marsee went with Danville lineman Deangleo Durham as his top pick.

When Marty Jaggers left Lincoln County to become an assistant coach at Danville, he knew in the back of his mind that someday he would get another job as a high school head football coach. What he didn't know, though, was that it would take him so long. It wasn't that he didn't have opportunities to go elsewhere. Three years ago he was offered the job at Paul Dunbar, but turned it down at the last minute. He talked with other teams but it never got to the point that he considered leaving Danville.

Since high school football season is still more than seven months away, there's been no reason for Robert Wagner to decide what Hometown Radio will do about its new dilemma. "We usually don't worry about football until after the (county) fair season is over," said Wagner, general manager of Hometown Radio. "We are still trying to figure out our other programming and making other changes ourselves. "I understand why people are wondering what is going to happen. But it's amazing that so many people could care less about basketball at this time of year and already be worried about high school football.

Title Town Talk will air from 6-7 p.m. each Thursday on WHIR-AM 1230. Charlie Perry, program director for Hometown Radio Network, and Larry Vaught, sports editor of The Advocate-Messenger, will host the show, which will air each week from Arby's. The show will focus on high school football for the next 17 weeks. Coaches Chuck Smith of Boyle County and Sam Harp of Danville will be guests on the show as will assistant coaches and players from both schools. Fans can participate by coming to Arby's or by calling during the show.

If Kentucky coach Rich Brooks had declined the invitation to speak at the Bob Allen Pigskin Classic dinner, it would have been understandable. If Brooks had accepted the invitation but stayed only long enough to speak before heading back to Lexington, it would have been understandable. Instead, Brooks not only came here to speak Sunday night, but he stayed to hear every word high school coaches and players as well as others had to say. "I just think it's important to support high school football," said Brooks.

There's always a lot of talk about football in Title Town, but now there is going to be an official place for "Title Town Talk. " That's the name of the new weekly radio show on WHIR-AM (1230) starting Thursday featuring radio personality Charlie Perry and me. We'll do the show live from Arby's for the next 17 weeks. Yes, that's 11 weeks for 10 regular-season games and one bye week, five weeks of the playoffs and one week to wrap up what could be another Title Town celebration at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in December.

STANFORD - Larry French walked into a Lincoln County football program that was about to meet its third head coach in four years, one that had gone all winter without a coach and had struggled the past few years. When French and the Patriots take the field Aug. 20 in the Death Valley Bowl, the players think you'll see a whole new team. "We've got the attitude we're going to win," senior receiver Cole Lanigan said. "We don't have the attitude we're just going to come out here to play football, we're going to come out here to win, and that's the whole purpose.

Fifteen has to be the key number going into the 2004 high school football season because 10 plus 5 does equal 15. Danville has now won 10 state football championships, including three in the last four years, and Boyle has won a state-record five straight titles. That's why no one can dispute whether or not this is Title Town. But area high school football is about more than just the two Title Town teams, so here are 15 things that could happen this season. 1. New Lincoln County coach Larry French will be befuddled with mistakes his team makes and wonder why he ever left Meade County to try and rebuild the Patriots.

High school coaches think major college recruiters are finally learning just how good area football is. "We have proven that we can play great football here, but not everybody always knew it," said Mercer County coach Duane Hammons. "We've had some good Division I prospects in this area before that were overlooked by college coaches. "But with the rise of Danville and Boyle County football and those schools being in the national spotlight, it makes colleges pay more attention to this area.