The Owensboro Senior High School boys’ basketball team will travel down KY 431 to play Muhlenberg County tonight, but it won’t be a typical game. It will be a trip down memory lane, with the Red Devils set to play the Mustangs at the old Central City High School gymnasium, the former home of their long-time rivals, the Golden Tide.
The Muhlenberg County girls’ program will open the evening, playing Butler County at 6 p.m., followed by the Muhlenberg and Owensboro boys’ game at 7:30 p.m.
The Central City and Owensboro rivalry dates back to the early 1920s when Central City dominated the 3rd Region and Owensboro the 4th. In the late ’30s, their regional assignments flipped. Then, in 1966, they began battling for 3rd regional titles.
Muhlenberg Head Coach Aaron Morris said their ultimate mission is to re-energize the county and ignite the passion it once had for basketball.
“We saw some schools in eastern Kentucky were doing it, and we thought it was a good idea,” Morris said. “It will be a great atmosphere, and we’re really looking forward to it. Playing Owensboro only adds to it. It’s going to be a fun night to celebrate history.”
When the 3rd Region tournament permanently moved to the Owensboro Sportscenter in the ’70s, the Red Devils began a long stint of almost annual regional titles.
“With the history we have here at Owensboro, Central City is one of the few programs to rival us in wins and dominance,” said Owensboro Athletic Director Todd Harper.
Owensboro Head Coach Rod Drake was part of the 1980 OHS state championship team, participating in several contests in the old gym. He and long-time teammate Kenny Higgs also played a pivotal role in resurrecting the Kentucky Wesleyan College basketball program.
Drake was born in Drakesboro, just south of Central City in Muhlenberg County, before moving to Owensboro as a child. When Morris initially emailed coaches from the area to find a team to play, Drake responded by the end of the day.
“It’s definitely going to be a special atmosphere,” Drake said. “My guys probably don’t even remember when Muhlenberg had 2 schools, much less 7, but they know it will be a battle. I think it will all set in when they see the crowd and the environment.”
Harper expects the contest to incite memories from years past and offer a fun experience for everyone involved.
“The history of Central City and Muhlenberg County’s basketball programs is well-documented,” Harper said. “It’s always nice to play Muhlenberg County because of the history, but to play in the Central City gym will be a cool experience.”
The Tide took home the crown in 1989, the last year they were a school. For years, they remained the winningest program in the state. Ashland Blazer and Paducah Tighlman have since passed them up.
After minor remodeling, the gym now seats roughly 1,200 people, and organizers expect a sold-out crowd.
Until 1990, Muhlenberg County was home to 7 high schools: Central City, Greenville, Bremen, Drakesboro, Graham, Hughes-Kirk, and Muhlenberg Central. The school boards merged to form Muhlenberg North and South, eventually consolidating those two schools into a single high school for the entire county in 2010.
“There is so much basketball history in our county that many of us never got to experience,” Morris said. “We’re not trying to show favoritism to Central City. This is just a glimpse of the glory days and a way to generate passion for the sport.”
Owensboro enters the contest at 1-2, sandwiching a win against 4th Region powerhouse Warren Central between losses to Waggener (Louisville) and Daviess County. The Mustangs (3-1) lost their season opener to Hopkins County Central before securing consecutive victories over Logan County, Northeast (Clarksville), and McClean County.
The Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame (KHSBHF) will attend the game as part of its Glory Road Project. The project recognizes and honors gymnasiums across the Commonwealth that have historical significance in the development of the cultural phenomenon of Kentucky high school basketball.
Brad Stanley, with the Hall of Fame, will lead a special ceremony before the boys’ contest, officially adding the Central City gymnasium to the decorated list.
The Red Devils are a perennial powerhouse in the region and the state, with more than 40 regional titles and 4 state crowns, including their most recent in 2015.
Central City led the charge for the 7-team county with 17 regional titles. Muhlenberg North added 4 from 1990-2009, while Muhlenberg County has 3, including back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022.
Tom Wallace is an award-winning author for his famed mystery series, but most in the area know the Central City native for his book Golden Glory, documenting the Golden Tide’s highs and lows. He rallied all of a few noteworthy games from history that might excite some readers.
1946-47, CC 59-53, J.M. Gipe led O’boro with 21 points. W.C. Mobberly had 18 for CC.
1947-48, O’Boro 58-44, future UK teammates Bobby Watson and Cliff Hagan led the Devils with 14 and 11, respectively. Doug Edwards led CC with 15.
1948-49, O’Boro 50-41 behind Hagan’s 26.
1949-50, CC 58-45 despite Hagan’s 26. Marion Tinsley had 17, and Joe Mac Howard 15 for CC.
1955-56, CC 85-58 behind Corky Withrow’s 39 points. Withrow went on to play Major League Baseball before moving to Owensboro.
1965-66, CC 67-64 in Regional final. David James led the Tide with 20, all on long-range field goals.
1966-67, CC 58-50. Kenny Lindsay had 19, Ralph Mayes had 15, and Billy Chris Pendley had 10 for CC, who held All-State player Felix Thruston to seven points. Later that same season, in the Regional final, O’boro won 52-33, with Thruston getting 22 points.
1968-69, CC 88-85 in OT. Mark Eades had 24, and Ricky Turley had 21 for CC.
1969-70, O’boro 73-69 in Regional final. Taylor Sparks had 24 in a losing effort, while Roy Thruston and Geary Taylor each had 20 for OHS.
1988-89, CC 74-66 in Regional final. Greg Franklin tallied 28 for the Tide.
The game is more than a sporting event. It’s a celebration of Kentucky’s rich history and enduring spirit of high school basketball.
Special thanks to Mark Stone at the Times-Argus, Freddy Mayes at the Central City Tourism Commission, and Tom Wallace for assisting me with research.
