By STEVE CORNELIUS CJ Sports Writer
August 29, 2007 09:17 am
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In 1978, Johnny Hines was an integral part of Somerset High School’s first-ever football state final appearance.
Back then, Hines and his Briar Jumper teammates were regarded as football heroes on the small Somerset High School campus.
Thirty years later, the former Briar Jumper split end now dons the ‘maroon and white’ colors of Pulaski County and, according to Hines, receives anything far from a hero’s welcome at William Clark Field during the recent Ray Correll Bowl.
But Hines is not concerned about his own personal treatment at his alma mater high school than he is about the way his student athletes were treated at this year’s bowl game.
“For the past two years, we have not been given a locker room to change into our uniforms,” a disgruntled Hines said. “Our players had to go behind the building and change into their uniforms out in an open field.”
We were also told that our players would be fed after the game, which never happened,” Hines added. “We finally got to go into the visiting locker room after Rockcastle had been feed and allowed to properly dress after their game.”
“We bring a lot of fans to this bowl game and we are as much a part of this bowl game as the other teams, but we feel like we are being treated like a redheaded stepchild,” Hines added.
But Hines didn’t stop with his displeasure over the way his athletes were treated by the host school, but was even more disgusted with the host facilities of the local football classic.
“(Somerset’s) field was by far the worst field we have ever played on and I can’t believe that (Somerset) has let their field get in that kind of poor shape,” Hines exclaimed. “Even worse, the visiting fans are forced to walk almost completely around the outside circumference of their track to get to the visiting section, and when the lightning storm hit, it became even more inconvenient for our fans to exit. We have several elderly people on our side of the field and it took some time for them to exit during the lightning storm.”
However, Hines and his Maroons used the lightning storm to their advantage as they reeled off three quick scores in the final four minutes left after the storm delay.
Hines, also took offense to Somerset coach Jay Cobb’s reference that this game meant more to Pulaski County than it did to the Briar Jumpers.
“(Cobb) said this was (Pulaski’s) Super Bowl,” Hines lamented. “Yeah, it’s a big game for our kids. It is a big event for the community and we want to win this game.”
“(Pulaski) has beaten Somerset two out of the three times we have met in the Ray Correll Bowl and (Pulaski) has won three Ray Correll Bowl titles, which is more than any other team has won,” Hines said. “ We take this game seriously and maybe Somerset should take these bowl games seriously, too.”
“If this was not a big game for Somerset, then what is a big game for them? Cawood? Metcalfe?,” Hines asked.
Hines has been an avid proponent of a yearly rivalry game between Somerset and Pulaski for the purpose of revenue, reduced travel costs and the sake of creating a true cross-town rivalry.
“If you don’t play each other every year, then how can you call it a rivalry,” Hines questioned. “Our basketball teams and baseball teams play each other every year. Why can’t our football teams play each other every year?”
“Somerset seems to control who they will play each year in the Ray Correll Bowl,” Hines said. “Somerset played us back-to-back years after we beat them in 2004, and it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if Somerset decides to play us again next year to avenge this year’s loss. That’s fine, we will be ready for them.”
Hines suggested that the three local teams should bring in separate rivalry opponents for the Ray Correll Bowl each year and, then, the three local teams play each other once during the regular season.
“The amount of revenue these three separate games would bring in for each program would be great, not to mention the reduction in travel costs,” Hines said.
And while Hines’ 1978 Jumper football team may someday be inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame, don’t look for a ‘Johnny Hines Night’ any time soon on a Somerset High School athletic field.
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