Livingston Central “Cardinals”
a consolidation of LivingstonCounty “Yellowjackets” and Salem “Red Devils” in January of 1958.
ORIGIN
The plan was for Livingston Central to open in the fall of 1957. However the new building was not ready, so LivingstonCounty and Salem continued to meet separately. The KHSAA ruled that they also had to play basketball separately. The new building opened Friday, January 17, 1958; the schools met as one for the first time that day; and the new high school team played for the first time that night. In their own new gym, the Cardinals beat CarlisleCounty, itself a first year school from the 1st region, 59-56.
As early as the 1939 season...according to the first editions of “The Athlete” by the KHSAA, “LivingstonCounty” was the name of the school. However, many reporters called the school “Smithland” for years after that. The Madisonville Messenger, for instance, called the school “Smithland” through the 1946 season. There was no indication that any school joined Smithland to “form” LivingstonCounty, and it was not unusual for small counties/schools to change their name in that way.
In the fall of 1945, theHampton
“Pirates” became part of Salem.
In the fall of 1940, the Grand Rivers
“Greyhounds”became part of LivingstonCounty.Salem “Red Devils”
1930 4 - 14L.D. Williams
LivingstonCounty “Yellowjackets”1931 11-11L.D. Williams
1932 9 - 11William Smith
1933 5 - 20W.G. Sullenger
1934 7 - 15Preston Dabney1934 10-12W.G. Sullenger
1935 0 - 21Preston Dabney1935 2 - 18D.D. Crisp
1936 0 - 21Preston Dabney1936 1 - 20John Vickers
1937 7 - 21Preston Dabney1937 15-11John Vickers
1938 4 - 20H.B. Alderdice1938 19 - 8Armon Berry
1939 12-12H.B. Alderdice1939 12-13Armon Berry
1940 4 - 21H.B. Alderdice +1940 8 - 20Armon Berry
1941 13-13H.B. Alderdice1941 12-13Armon Berry
1942 11-16H.B. Alderdice1942 10-16Harvey Ellis
1943 1 - 22H.B. Alderdice *1943 10-17Harvey Ellis
1944 9 - 16H.B. Alderdice *1944 15-14Harvey Ellis
1945 9 - 19H.B. Alderdice *1945 9 - 16J.D. “Shorty” Grimes
1946 0 - 24H.B. Alderdice1946 6 - 22Brad Howard
1947 4 - 25Aurel (W.A.) Threlkeld # *1947 18-10George Harris
+1948 13-16Aurel (W.A.) Threlkeld *1948 13-15George Harris
*1949 18-10Aurel (W.A.) Threlkeld1949 3 - 22Barkley Walker
+1950 13-10Aurel (W.A.) Threlkeld1950 4 - 21Rayford Ramage
1951 16-11Aurel (W.A.) Threlkeld1951 5 - 22Rayford Ramage
*1952 17-11Aurel (W.A.) Threlkeld1952 9 - 19George Whitecotton
1953 3 - 25Aurel (W.A.) Threlkeld1953 7 - 20George Whitecotton
+1954 10-18Frank Wright1954 4 - 21Albert Berry
*1955 23-10Frank Wright1955 4 - 20George Whitecotton
1956 21 - 7Frank Wright1956 5 - 17L. E. Dunning
1957 20 - 4Frank Wright1957 6 - 19George Whitecotton
1958 4 - 7Frank Wright1958 3 - 6George Whitecotton
* District Champion
+ district runner-up
# region semi-finalist
LIVINGSTON CENTRAL “Cardinals”
Record Coach vs. Madisonville
A195811-18Frank Wright site score winner
B195922-12Frank Wright
196026-11Rex Smith
196120-11Rex Smith
196222-9Rex SmithMad.63-56Mad.(Madisonvilleinvitional)
196316-11George Whitecotton
196421-8George Whitecotton
196517-7George Whitecotton
19669 - 16Bill Martin
196720-11Don Ringstaff
196815-14Don Ringstaff
19695-21Don Ringstaff
197013-15Don Ringstaff
197120-10Don Ringstaffneu.95-77Mad.(region tournament)
19725 - 20Don Ringstaff
19738 - 15Don Ringstaff
197417-15Don RingstaffMad.80-54Mad.(region semi-final)
19759 - 14Don Ringstaff
19766 - 18Don Ringstaff
197717-12Don Ringstaff
197824-10Don Ringstaff
197925-6Don Ringstaff
198021-12Don Ringstaff
198116-12Don Ringstaff
198221-12Don Ringstaffneu.77-54Mad.(region at Hopkinsville)
198330-6Don Ringstaffneu.75-67Mad.(region semi at Hop.)
198426-6Don RingstaffMad.82-67Mad.(region semi-final)
198516-11Don Ringstaff
198613-14Don Ringstaff
198715-12Mike RileyMad.59-48Mad.(region semi-final)
19887-19Mike Riley
19893-19Mike Riley
19908-16Mike Riley
19918-17Mike Riley
199215-14Mike Riley
199314-12Mike Riley
199416-10Mike Riley
199515-13Mike Riley
19962-19Mike Riley
19973-19Mike Riley
19980-24John Tyler
19994-21John Tyler
20009 - 20John Tyler
20014 - 21Matt Thompson
200213-13Matt Thompson
20033 - 23Brent Buchanan
20049 - 18Brent Buchanan
200514-11Brent Buchanan
20069 - 15Mike Johnson
200711-16Jimmy Croft
20089 - 17Jimmy Croft
20097 - 12Jimmy Croft
201011-13Jimmy Croft
201120 - 9Jimmy Croft
201221-11Rex Booth
20135 - 24Kyle Yates
20147 - 20Kyle Yates
20153 - 23Bill McNamara
20167 - 21Bill McNamara
201718-15Bill McNamara
201817-14Bill McNamara
A11 games into the season, Salemconsolidated withLivingstonCounty...and they became LivingstonCentral.
Bregion champions! Don Ringstaff, who later coached his alma mater, was a senior on that team.
DON RINGSTAFF: was a star on Livingston’s state tournament team in 1959 and still owns the record for most free throws made (20) in a state tournament game. He scored 46 points in that 88-78 opening round loss to Olive
Hill (16th region)...which, at the time, made him the 3rd highest scoring individual in state tourney history.
MIKE RILEY: played at Livingston under Don Ringstaff; graduated from MurrayState
JOHN TYLER: was on CarlisleCounty’s state runner-up team in 1983…and had been head coach at his alma mater the preceding 6 years