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Tomcat Tales

Tomcat Tales

By Mark Maynard

Ashland Tomcats sports history and highlights with host Mark Maynard, a Hall of Fame sports journalist in northeastern Kentucky. A deep dive into the history of one of Kentucky's greatest high school programs.
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Who's on first? And who's being interviewed? We turn the tables and interview the host

Tomcat TalesApr 26, 2021

00:00
01:28:21
Who's on first? And who's being interviewed? We turn the tables and interview the host

Who's on first? And who's being interviewed? We turn the tables and interview the host

Mark Maynard, the host of Tomcat Tales, takes his turn on the hot seat as Sarah Lynch Nausbaum does the interviewing for this one. Let's hope he can handle the heat.

Apr 26, 202101:28:21
Jeff Hall Part 3: The days of O.J. Mayo and an intense time coaching Rose Hill basketball.

Jeff Hall Part 3: The days of O.J. Mayo and an intense time coaching Rose Hill basketball.

The is the third and final segment with Jeff Hall, one of the greatest players to ever come out of the 16th Region and a two-time 16th Region championship coach at Ashland and Rose Hill. He was also the Associated Press Coach of the Year after taking the Royals to a 27-4 record in his first season when phenom O.J. Mayo was only a seventh-grader. There were some interesting times at Rose Hill, which went 51-13 in his two seasons.

Apr 13, 202101:28:18
Patton Pending: David Patton had a fun ride through 1950s with Tomcats

Patton Pending: David Patton had a fun ride through 1950s with Tomcats

David Patton played baseball and basketball for the Tomcats during the 1950s when athletes were plentiful. He went on to become a college basketball coach at East Carolina for three seasons where he was the Southern Conference Coach of the Year in 1974-75 when the Pirates went 19-9 and defeated Baylor during the regular season.

Apr 07, 202150:03
Part II: Hall-mark of success with Jeff Hall and the 1990-92 Tomcats.

Part II: Hall-mark of success with Jeff Hall and the 1990-92 Tomcats.

Jeff Hall talks about the 1990-92 Tomcat basketball seasons.

Apr 06, 202101:20:37
PART 2: Hall-mark of success with Jeff Hall leading the Tomcats basketball program.

PART 2: Hall-mark of success with Jeff Hall leading the Tomcats basketball program.

Jeff Hall talks about his two years of coaching the Ashland Tomcats basketball team from 1990-92.

Apr 06, 202101:20:37
PART I: Jeff Hall becomes shooting star from Westwood to Louisville

PART I: Jeff Hall becomes shooting star from Westwood to Louisville

First of two podcasts with Jeff Hall, the former Fairview High and University of Louisville basketball star. He played on the 1986 U of L national championship team - the only area player to own a Division I championship ring. He brought great pride to Westwood and the entire 16th Region as a key player who scored 1,294 points in his four-year career. He started every game, averaging 10.3 ppg. for the 1986 champion Cardinals. His point total would have been 2,000 had the 3-point shot been in play when Hall played.

Mar 30, 202101:14:38
TOMCAT LEGACY: Rob Lynch has had a hand in past, current and future Tomcat basketball success.

TOMCAT LEGACY: Rob Lynch has had a hand in past, current and future Tomcat basketball success.

A sitdown interview with Rob Lynch, who did his part in a family legacy of athletic excellence for the Ashland Tomcats. Rob led the Tomcats to the 1992 16th Regional title, ending a drought of a dozen years, and was also a key player on the Ashland American Little League state champions in 1986.

Mar 26, 202101:02:42
Finding motivation from not making the Tomcats.

Finding motivation from not making the Tomcats.

Charlie Stephenson grew up during the Golden Era of Ashland Tomcat sports in the 1960s. But for a number of reasons, he could never quite crack the varsity rosters. However, what many might consider failure he used as fuel to keep playing the games he loved and eventually land a 30-year high school basketball coaching gig in Florida that includes multiple championships.
Mar 11, 202145:40
Let's be Frank: Meet Ashland's most versatile and successful coach

Let's be Frank: Meet Ashland's most versatile and successful coach

Frank Sloan's coaching career with the Ashland Tomcats including guiding girls track and field, junior high football and basketball, high school basketball, baseball and soccer. It spanned 32 years and a whole lot of victories, including lead Ashland to regional championships in three different sports. He is ninth on Kentucky high school's win list in soccer with 267 victories and led the Tomcats to the Final Four in that sport in 2004. 

Feb 19, 202101:09:40
To the point: Ashland's Jason Strader dials it back to the 1992 16th Region championship season.

To the point: Ashland's Jason Strader dials it back to the 1992 16th Region championship season.

Jason Strader is one of the most memorable point guards in recent Tomcat history, directing a 26-7 season that ended in the Sweet 16 in 1992. That snapped a 12-year drought of no regional titles for Ashland. Strader  has remained true to his Tomcat heritage and is currently coaching the 8th grade team, which includes his oldest son, at Ashland Middle School.

Jan 13, 202101:08:29
Tip of the Tomcats: Ashland big man soared in big moments

Tip of the Tomcats: Ashland big man soared in big moments

Jeff Tipton had a dream to wear the Tomcats' maroon-and-white on the basketball floor. He played for Tomcat coaching legends Paul Patterson and Ernie Simpson, twice going to the Sweet Sixteen where he was a shining star under the brightest lights.

Jan 08, 202101:03:27
Say hello to Marty Thomas, the Ashland Tomcat basketball scoring king

Say hello to Marty Thomas, the Ashland Tomcat basketball scoring king

Marty Thomas scored 1,873 points in his Tomcat career from 1991-1994, playing on two 16th Region championship teams, scoring a team-record 54 points in a single game and putting in 30 points in a remarkable 14 games. His 27.7 scoring average as a junior is also the best single season mark. He's a great representative of Tomcat sports.

Jan 06, 202101:02:33
There's a lot to LOVE about Ashland's state championship football coach.

There's a lot to LOVE about Ashland's state championship football coach.

A candid conversation with Coach Tony Love, who just led Ashland's football team to the Class 3A state championship and an undefeated season.

Dec 29, 202001:13:07
Big Mike Johnson was a bulldozing running back for the Ashland Tomcats from 1986-88.

Big Mike Johnson was a bulldozing running back for the Ashland Tomcats from 1986-88.

When Mike Johnson graduated in 1989 after three years as a starter with the Tomcats he was the leading rusher in school history. That record has since been broken but Johnson has not been forgotten. Listen as he shares about his career, including the famed 1988 loss to Covington Catholic in the Class AAA semifinals.

Dec 18, 202057:49
Championship talk with 75 JAWS player and Putnam Stadium renovation chairman Greg Jackson and Coach Herb Conley.

Championship talk with 75 JAWS player and Putnam Stadium renovation chairman Greg Jackson and Coach Herb Conley.

Greg Jackson was a running back and outside linebacker on one of Ashland's most feared teams, the 1975 JAWS State At-Large champions, who rolled out a 14-1 record. Hear Greg and Coach Herb Conley, the architect of the famous Tomcat team, talk about the win over Paducah Tilghman and the loss to St. Xavier in the Kentucky "Super Bowl" in an emotional converation.

Dec 17, 202001:21:15
Dicky Martin is Kentucky's best high school sports broadcaster and it's not even close. Nobody tells it like Dicky tells it. He is a true walking, talking (mostly talking) Tomcat legend.

Dicky Martin is Kentucky's best high school sports broadcaster and it's not even close. Nobody tells it like Dicky tells it. He is a true walking, talking (mostly talking) Tomcat legend.

A conversation with Ashland Tomcat broadcasting great Dicky Martin, a legend in Kentucky high school sports section as the Voice of the Tomcats for 45 years. He has seen a little bit of everything in an incredible career but nothing matters more to him than his Tomcats.

Dec 10, 202001:13:52
Rick Sang's Ashland Tomcat football career put him on a lifetime path of success.

Rick Sang's Ashland Tomcat football career put him on a lifetime path of success.

From seldom-used freshman to first-team All-State as a senior for the Ashland Tomcats, Rick Sang proved how hard work can make the player and, in his case, a lifetime career in the game of football.

Dec 06, 202001:31:29
David Brown was a 3-time state champion in Ashland: Little League, Babe Ruth and 1990 Tomcat football.

David Brown was a 3-time state champion in Ashland: Little League, Babe Ruth and 1990 Tomcat football.

David Brown was the daring quarterback who guided the Tomcats wishbone attack to the 1990 state championship. Winning a state title was nothing new to him. He did the same in Little League and Babe Ruth. Meet a true champion in all kinds of ways.

Dec 04, 202001:02:07
What's it like to be the son of a legend? Former Tomcat quarterback Greg Conley tells us in this episode.

What's it like to be the son of a legend? Former Tomcat quarterback Greg Conley tells us in this episode.

Greg Conley played football and basketball for the Tomcats from 1980-1983. He is the son of Tomcat great Herb Conley. Try living up to that legacy. Greg did his best to do just that.

Dec 01, 202049:28
HUTT! HUTT! A look back at the career of 1990 Tomcat running back Chris Hutt.

HUTT! HUTT! A look back at the career of 1990 Tomcat running back Chris Hutt.

Chris Hutt was one of three 1,000-yard running backs in the Ashland Tomcats' 1990 state championship football season. He rushed for 175 yards and three TDs in the 35-13 victory over Lincoln County to complete a 14-1 season. Hutt came back a season later and took the Tomcats to the regional championship game. He is one of the greatest running backs in Tomcat history.

Nov 23, 202001:13:16
John Radjunas and the 1967 state champion Ashland Tomcats

John Radjunas and the 1967 state champion Ashland Tomcats

Quarterback John Radjunas talks about the 1967 Tomcats' state championship football season from start to finish. The Tomcats finished 13-1, winning the title 19-14 over Elizabethtown on the same day that tragedy occurred when basketball star Joe Franklin was killed in an automobile accident near Morehead.

Nov 16, 202001:20:13
Stacy Franz was a girl for all seasons and an Ashland legend.

Stacy Franz was a girl for all seasons and an Ashland legend.

Stacy Franz is the No. 2 scorer in Ashland Kitten basketball history, piloting the 1990 and 1992 teams to 16th Region titles and also started at third base on one of Ashland's seven Little League state championship teams in 1986. She is one of the most fierce competitors, male or female, in Ashland history,

Nov 13, 202053:57
Bill Bradley's remarkable coaching career spans more than 40 years.

Bill Bradley's remarkable coaching career spans more than 40 years.

Bill Bradley started his coaching career at Holy Family High School in the 1970s and it still hasn't stopped. This season will be his 20th on the bench for the Ashland Kittens' basketball program. And don't forget about The Clem, maybe the longest-running pickup basketball tournament in the nation. After being postponed by COVID this year, the games played in front of the Bradley's home turns 40 next year. We will talk about it all in a fun 54 minutes with the unflappable Mr. Bradley.

Nov 11, 202054:16
Kiwanis Bowl simulation completion: Coles vs. Putnam All-Stars

Kiwanis Bowl simulation completion: Coles vs. Putnam All-Stars

Find out what happens in the second half of the simulated Kiwanis Bowl between Tomcat all-stars who played for either Coles or Putnam from 1952-78. The Buccaneers and Broncos were tied 21-21 after an exciting first half. Find out the rest of the story in this episode.

Oct 29, 202033:29
Larry Castle's incredible senior season in 1959 ranks as one of the finest in Tomcat basketball history. And he just kept doing more.

Larry Castle's incredible senior season in 1959 ranks as one of the finest in Tomcat basketball history. And he just kept doing more.

Tomcat Larry Castle exploded onto the scene as a big scorer as a senior when he averaged 23.3 points per game after scoring less than 100 in his first two years on the team. It was good enough to earn him a third-team All-State selection from the Courier-Journal and a scholarship to WKU.

Oct 28, 202059:11
A simulated Kiwanis Bowl between former Tomcat stars who went to Coles and Putnam

A simulated Kiwanis Bowl between former Tomcat stars who went to Coles and Putnam

Listen as Dicky Martin, the legendary VOICE of the Ashland Tomcats, does the play-by-play with Mark Maynard in a simulated Coles-Putnam Kiwanis Bowl. The last time these junior highs met was 1978. 

Oct 22, 202052:08
1990: Coach Vic Marsh wins a state championship with a blockbuster backfield.

1990: Coach Vic Marsh wins a state championship with a blockbuster backfield.

Ashland captured its second state championship of the playoff era with a 14-1 season capped off with a win over Lincoln County in the finals. Listen as Vic Marsh, the winningest coach in Tomcat history, talks about that special season.

Oct 21, 202001:00:58
John Koskinen's remarkable life journey included snapping football for 1955-56 Tomcats.

John Koskinen's remarkable life journey included snapping football for 1955-56 Tomcats.

John Koskinen is a pretty big deal. He has worked for two former U.S. presidents, including serving as the commissioner of the IRS, was a former president of the U.S. soccer association and led the world through the Y2K conversion. But before all that, he was a 175-pound center for the 1955-56 Ashland Tomcats.

Oct 13, 202056:46
Howard Humphreys recalls Ashland in 1950s, the first AIT and his outstanding Tomcat basketball career

Howard Humphreys recalls Ashland in 1950s, the first AIT and his outstanding Tomcat basketball career

Howard Humphreys was one of Ashland's finest basketball players from the 1950s, starting for the Tomcats in 1956 and 1957. He played in the very first AIT and went up against the likes of Flat Gap's Charlie Osborne and Maysville's Toothpick Jones. He went on to play for Southwestern Louisiana where he once scored a school-record 40 points in a single game. He lives in Austin, Texas, today with his beautiful wife Ann and still works daily.

Oct 08, 202040:58
Forever friends carry undefeated 1958 Tomcats

Forever friends carry undefeated 1958 Tomcats

Before Herb Conley and Dick Fillmore were "Mr. Inside" and "Mr. Outside" for the 1958 Tomcats, they were friends growing up in Ashland. The 70-year friendship is as strong as ever today. Listen to the details of the 10-0-1 season - the last undefeated campaign in Ashland history - and some bonus stories from these two great Tomcats.

Oct 05, 202001:20:27
1976: Tomcats put together super season in Herb Conley's finale.

1976: Tomcats put together super season in Herb Conley's finale.

Coach Herb Conley's nine-year coaching reign ended after the Tomcats finished 9-3 with a heartbreaking 14-13 overtime loss to Lexington Tates Creek in the Class AAAA State At-Large semifinals in Putnam Stadium.

Oct 01, 202050:09
1975: JAWS comes to Putnam Stadium

1975: JAWS comes to Putnam Stadium

Ashland's 1975 season produced one of the hardest-hitting defenses in school history with the team that carried the nickname of JAWS all the way to the biggest championship game in the state of Kentucky. The Tomcats fell just short of perfection but it's a team that is still remembered 45 years later.

Sep 24, 202001:13:41
1974: Tomcats have fantastic start, tougher finish

1974: Tomcats have fantastic start, tougher finish

Ashland started the season 5-0 before a demoralizing 13-6 loss to Russell seemed to turn the tide in a 6-3-1 season where coach Herb Conley had several upperclassmen in the lineup. A big season was on the horizon.

Sep 18, 202045:26
1973: Tomcats keep winning edge in Conley era

1973: Tomcats keep winning edge in Conley era

Ashland was coming off 21 victories and only one loss in Kentucky in two years but the Tomcats were depleted going into the 1973 season. They still managed a 6-5 record and nearly shocked undefeated and top-ranked Boyd County in the last game.


Sep 12, 202034:53
1972: Tomcats come within whisker of state title

1972: Tomcats come within whisker of state title

Coach Herb Conley talks about one of his greatest Tomcat teams from 1972. Ashland finished 11-2 after losing to Tates Creek, 16-7, in the state championship. It was the last game ever played at UK's Stoll Field.
Sep 10, 202050:17
1971: Herb Conley era roars to 10-2 season

1971: Herb Conley era roars to 10-2 season

Tomcats hit their stride in Herb Conley's fourth season as head coach but playoff system fails them in the end.
Sep 05, 202057:18
1970 Tomcats have a wish(bone) come true

1970 Tomcats have a wish(bone) come true

Ashland's 1970 football season was spiraling downward and coach Herb Conley was on the hot seat. The sophomore-dominated Tomcats took a six-game losing streak into the last game at Ironton and rode a new wishbone attack to a stunning 7-3 victory. The future suddenly looked much brighter.
Sep 01, 202043:16
1969 Tomcats started with a bang

1969 Tomcats started with a bang

Coach Herb Conley talks about his second season in 1969 that finished 4-7. It had some good moments but wasn't up to the lofty standards of Tomcat fans who were starting to become uneasy about their 28-year-old coach.

Aug 26, 202043:30
1968: Herb Conley's first season with the Tomcats

1968: Herb Conley's first season with the Tomcats

Coach Herb Conley talks about the 1968 season when the Tomcats went 7-3-1 with four shutouts. It was the first of nine seasons for Coach Conley.
Aug 20, 202050:26