Tonight could be the final time that Hopkinsville and Christian County’s boys’ basketball teams meet.
It’s a rivalry that began on Dec. 12, 1959, at Christian County High School’s Gym. That gym was part of the old Christian County Middle School building, which was recently demolished.
On that cold December night, which was eagerly anticipated by local basketball fans, it was the first time that the Colonels would take on the Tigers. Christian County was in its first year of existence after the consolidation of county schools Crofton, South Christian, Sinking Fork, Pembroke, and Lacy. Five small schools who had often been victims of the larger Hopkinsville High School.
John Rendek, who had coached Crofton High School, was the Colonels’ coach. They were led that first year by Robert “Snake” Grace, Jim Fleming, and Jim Mohon, among others.
They had started the season earlier than the Tigers, who had to finish their football season first. Christian County entered that first game with a 5-1 record. It’s only blemish came against North Marshall.
Hoptown, which was coached by Roy Allison, was 1-2 and had lost all five starters from the 1958-59 team that won the district title. They had played a late game at Mayfield the night before and Allison was worried about his team’s conditioning entering the Christian County game.
The Colonels got off to a quick start and led 20-9 after one quarter. Hoptown never challenged the rest of the night, trailing 39-20 at halftime. The Tigers only managed 14 points in the second half as the Colonels won going away, 73-34.
Jack Ladd, Fleming, and Grace each had 14 points for Christian County. Mohon added 13.
Hopkinsville was led by Tommy Leavell with eight points. Joe Allen and Wayne Light added seven.
From this first game, the basketball rivalry was born. Along the way, there was some hard feelings, including when Christian County star Steve Tribble transferred to Hopkinsville his senior year and helped the Tigers beat the Colonels.
There were numerous district championship games and even a few region title matchups. None of those region title battles were bigger than the 1985 standing-room only game at Tiger Gym.
That game also was not without controversy as an apparent Tigers’ over-and-back was not called and Hoptown ended up winning, 55-54. Hopkinsville advanced to the Sweet 16 State Tournament where it routed Greenup County in the first round, upset John Pelphrey and Paintsville and then Oldham County on the way to the title game. There, John Calvert hit late free throws and Jeff Quarles got a steal in the final seconds and the Tigers won their only state basketball championship over Richie Farmer and Clay County, 65-64.
The Colonels always contended that if that over-and-back had been called, they could have been state champions.
Christian County’s rich basketball heritage began with that 1959-60 team. Players like Grace, Tommy Porter, Victor Jordan, Curtis Parker, David Joiner, Chris Whitney, Mike Reese, Anthony Hickey Jr., Kenny Hart, Charles Nance, C.J. Pepper, and others – too many to mention – came through the program.
Coaches like Rendek, Bob Hoggard, Lyle Dunbar, Kerry Stovall, and Frankie Smith took their teams to 18 Region 2 championships. The Colonels were state runner-up twice in 1976 and 1979 under Dunbar.
Stovall and Hickey Jr. led the Colonels to their only state title in 2011 as they defeated Shelby Valley, Lexington Catholic, and Louisville Eastern to reach the title game. Veontae Lewis’ jumper in the final seconds of double overtime sent Christian County to a 65-63 win over Rowan County.
Meanwhile, Hopkinsville won its first Region 2 title under Roy Woolum in 1969. The Tigers also won the 2003 region championship under Terry Hayes. Tim Haworth won five region titles from 2012-15 and again in 2017.
The Tigers also have had a rich history of players including William “Bird” Averitt, Tommy Wade, George Atkins, Lamonte Ware, Wendell Quarles, Jeff Quarles, Rontreal Braxton, Jaqualis Matlock, Jordan Majors, and many others.
All of these coaches and players were part of this rich, intense, sometimes bitter, and best cross-town rivalry in the state.
Consolidation for Christian County and Hopkinsville is coming next season. If tonight’s game is the last ever between the two rivals, it all can be traced back to to a cold December night in 1959.
And oh what a fun ride it was from there.
Photos from Kentucky New Era