Lucas installed as new Jumpers coach

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August 12, 2009

Long-time assistant inherits interim title after sudden departure of Jay Cobb

By DOUG EADS, CJ Sports Writer The Commonwealth Journal Wed Aug 12, 2009, 08:44 PM EDT

Somerset High School’s football program was looking for a new coach that possessed one perfect quality.

That quality was a coach that wanted to be there.

Robbie Lucas wants to be there.

With the hiring of coach Lucas yesterday, the Briar Jumpers got the coach with the qualities they desired.

On Wednesday afternoon, Lucas was introduced to the Briar Jumper players as the new Interim Head Coach at Somerset for the upcoming 2009 football season.

Lucas, who has served as a long-time assistant coach at Somerset High School, left the Briar Jumpers after the 2001 season to become the head football coach at Lincoln County High School.

Lucas served as the Patriots head coach for the 2002 and ‘03 seasons, where he amassed a record of 4 wins and 16 losses.

Lucas went 2-8 in each of those two seasons at Lincoln County, before coming back to serve as an assistant football coach again at Somerset, beginning with the 2004 campaign.

Thanks to the events that have transpired at Somerset over the past few days, coach Lucas stated last night that’s he certainly glad to have another opportunity, and he’s excited and ready for a second stint as a head football coach.

“I’m unproven as a head coach and I know that, but I’m a little older and a little wiser than I was during my tenure at Lincoln County,” Lucas stated.

“Somerset High School is a great program and it has a great tradition, and I just want to keep it going,” Lucas said. “Any coach that’s worth his salt wants to be a head coach, and I’m very grateful for this opportunity. However, I will say that anything we accomplish this season will be a credit to the kids and to coach (Jay) Cobb. He did an outstanding job in his 11 or 12 years here maintaining and building the tradition at Somerset High School, and I just want to keep it going.”

Earlier yesterday afternoon, SHS athletic director Bob Tucker gave some insight on the thought process behind the hiring of Robbie Lucas — Somerset’s fifth head coach in nearly 40 years.

“Several hours of thought and discussion have taken place in an attempt to provide the best possible environment for the student-athletes involved in the Briar Jumper football program,” stated Tucker. “It is with consensus that we maintain continuity and consistency within our football program as much as possible as we embark upon the upcoming season.”

“We have made the decision to appoint Mr. Robbie Lucas as the Interim Head Coach for the 2009 football season,” Tucker continued. “We feel in the present situation and at the present time, coach Lucas can lead an outstanding group of young men into this season with the assistance of a sound support staff.”

Two years ago when Jay Cobb resigned as Somerset’s head coach to accept a similar position at Henderson County High School, before changing his mind a few days later, the Somerset football players at that time presented a petition to the Somerset administration stating they wanted Robbie Lucas as their new head coach.

Lucas has always been popular with the Somerset players, and Tucker says that’s just another reason why he was the perfect fit for the opening that presented itself earlier this week with Cobb’s abrupt and untimely resignation as Somerset’s head football coach.

“I feel like Robbie is a great hire for us, and the kids are 100 percent behind him,” stated Tucker. “The parents are 100 percent behind him, and I feel very good about the hiring of coach Lucas. He’s been half of these kids head coach anyway, being defensive coordinator in the past, so I don’t really think there’s going to be that many problems about this transition taking place.”

Tucker also stated that no real timeline has been put in place as of yet for hiring a permanent replacement as Somerset’s football coach. Tucker says the matter will be addressed when the 2009 football season has concluded.

“Upon completion of the 2009 football season, it is our intent to begin the search process for the next leader of the Somerset High School Football program, at which time the timeline for hiring will be released,” Tucker stated.

The Briar Jumpers open the 2009 regular season next Friday night, as Somerset will square off against the Knox Central Panthers in the Pioneer Bowl.

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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