Hazard, KY, Louisville Courier-Journal March 23, 1948, March 16, 1948 –
Coach Willard Johnson and Principal Morton Combs of the Carr Creek Indians wish that the Creekers had drawn anyone except Fort Knox for a first-round foe in the state tournament in Louisville.
But if kith and kin have any say so in the matter, it will be Carr Creek all the way. Every man on the current Creek squad is either a first cousin or a nephew of some member of the immortal 1928 Carr Creek team that banged up everyone they met up to the quarter finals of the national tourney.
Wiley B. Stamper, guard of the Scalpers, is a first cousin of Shelby Stamper as is teammate, Wiley J. Stamper. Don Miller and brother Wink Miller and Bill Morton are nephews of Carr Creek’s immortal Zelda Hale of the ‘28 quintet. Paul Gene Francis, controller of the backboard, is a first cousin of the present coach “Sprout” Johnson, also a member of the twenty-eighters.
It has taken the Creekers just 17-years to hit a state meet since their last fling at the big tournament. Carr Creek lost out in the first-round play in the 1930 state meet and dropped in quarterfinal play in 1931.
But a 17-year gap in their return to the state finals isn't the only bit of bad luck the Creek boys have had. In 1940, Coach Morton Combs, member of the 1932 Hazard champions, had the gym refinished to keep snow and rain from coming through the windows. The ball boys and students did most of the remodeling work and exactly one week before Carr Creek was to play host to the 55th District the gym burned - not a splinter left.
Carr Creek has come a long way since the 1928 boys and they say that they aim to keep right on going. Stiff competition is their big worry and Coach Johnson says that in Francis, the Miller brothers, the Stamper boys, Bill Morton, Vesper Singleton and the rest of the Indian tribe he has just the medicine to remedy most any situation that he might encounter in Louisville this year.
Carr Creek enters state playoff with 24 wins and two losses; one to Hindman, being their only season loss. The other defeat came at Garrett by 39-38 in the Mountain Tournament.
*This article appeared in the Louisville Courier-Journal March 23, 1948. In the state tournament that year; first round Carr Creek beat Fort Knox 54-45, second round they beat Holmes 57-53, then lost in semi-finals 56-54 to Maysville. Carr Creek came back to defeat Louisville Male in the consolation game to claim third place in state.
