Combs High School 1948-49

Combs High School 1948-49. There would be but three more years of basketball or school for that matter, for Combs High School’s Bearcats after the 1048-49 season. The school closed after the 1952 season, joining others to form M.C. Napier. The Bearcats wore orange and black. This particular year shown had the Bearcats going 20-7 under Coach Howard Bartlett. 

The school began basketball in the 1928-29 season. They had 13 coaches over those years with one of them, Elbert “Pug” Fields, coaching the Bearcats three different times.  The 1948-49 team won one game in the 54th District Tournament, defeating Hardburly 24-19, but then fell to eventual 14th Region champs Hazard in the last game for the school, 49-35.

Thanks to my friend J.R. VanHoose for passing along this photo.