Blaine Wildcats
The Blaine Wildcats put their first basketball team onto the court in the 1929-1930 season under coach David Morris. Morris coached three years at Blaine, winning 18 games and losing 51. Their colors were orange and black.
The Wildcats fared even worse the next three years under coach Cratis Williams, known for being a great educator at the high school and college level. During Williams’ tenure (1931-32 through 1936-37) resulted in a cumulative 6 wins and 59 losses.
Blaine High School burned in the late 1950s, and the gym was rebuilt with a multi-purpose tile floor.
The best years for the Blaine Wildcats were in the 1960s. The 1960-61 season under first-year coach Roger Gambill was a 22-9 season, and in his second and last year as coach they finished 23-5.
Coach Joe Paul Blankenship led the 1963-64 team to a 26-7 finish. The last year the Wildcats had a winning season was the 1964-65 season, when they were 26-8.
The Wildcats failed to get out of the 59th district in the 1960s, although they did have some very good players in those years. Bill Lewis stood 6’7, and he made the All State Third Team in 1963. Don West and Harold Kazee were talked about in many circles as the best guard tandem in the 15th region in the years they played together. West was an All State Honorable Mention selection in 1964. Kazee and 6’7 Terry Young were both All State Honorable Mention selectees in 1965. Young had talented younger brothers, Kevin and Roger.
Carl Wilson was chosen as an All State Honorable Mention in 1966, as were Roger Jordan in 1967 and Roger Young in 1968.
In 1953 Blaine and Boyd County set a Kentucky high school basketball record that probably still stands. Boyd County scored 170 points and Blaine scored 87. New nets were probably put up the next day.
Blaine High School closed after the 1967-68 season, merging with Louisa.
