Published: September 10, 2008 09:48 pm      

Pulaski principal responds to Correll Bowl controversy

When Pulaski County High School principal Rob Bowers read in the Aug. 19 edition of the Commonwealth Journal that his school’s football team was pulling out of the Ray Correll Bowl — he was shocked.

“The first time I had heard that Pulaski County High School was withdrawing from the Ray Correll Bowl was in the newspaper,” Bowers stated. “At no point did Pulaski ever officially withdraw from the Ray Correll Bowl.”

However, Pulaski coach Johnny Hines told the Commonwealth Journal the day prior of this year’s Ray Correll Bowl that this was his team’s last year of playing in the bowl and that he had committed to play in the 2009 Lexington Christian Bowl.

“We were looking at different options for future football games, but officially we never had anything in writing nor had we signed any contracts that might conflict with us playing in the Ray Correll Bowl,” Bowers responded. “Coach Hines wanted to continue to play in the Ray Correll Bowl, I wanted us to continue playing in the Ray Correll Bowl, and I think our students and boosters wanted that as well.”

According to Bowers, himself and Somerset principal Jeff Perkins meet behind close doors to work out a resolution between the two football programs’ schedules.

“I know there has been a lot of concerns and conversations going around town about the Ray Correll Bowl, but myself and Mr. Perkins wanted to work together to continue this great tradition,” Bowers said. “We wanted to work out a resolution that would benefit everyone, which includes the football teams, the students and the fans.”

Across down at Pulaski’s sister school, Southwestern football coach Dale Anderson never had any intentions of withdrawing for the local event, but he had some major concerns if the Ray Correll Bowl was even going to exist past this fall.

“We didn’t even think there was going to be a Ray Correll Bowl past this year, because no contracts had been signed and no one had contacted us about playing in the Ray Correll Bowl past this year,” Anderson said. “Usually you have all your contracts signed for the following season by June. I still don’t think the contracts have been signed for the next two years (for the Ray Correll Bowl), and we were pretty lucky to be able to get Henry Clay in next year’s Ray Correll Bowl with this late of a notice.”

In co-ordination with Bob Boon, Warrior coach Dale Anderson has set up the local Don Marshall Bowl for next year in the week-two slot. The locally played Don Marshall Bowl will feature Southwestern and Pulaski playing in games against other opponents — that have yet to be signed.

“With the help of Bob Boon, the Don Marshall Bowl was set up to give the two county schools another big draw in the week-two slot,” Anderson commented. “It was never our intent to use this bowl as a replacement of the Ray Correll Bowl, or else we would have scheduled it on week one. Next year, local football fans will be treated with two consecutive weeks of great local football action.”