Jimmy Mathis joined John Ladd, Blaine Alexander, Jackie Sholar, Margaret Hendrix, and the 1986 boys’ state champion cross country team in the 11th class to be inducted into the Trigg County High School Athletic Hall of Fame Saturday.
Jimmy was the second quarterback to have consecutive 1,000-yard passing seasons at Trigg County and was the signal caller for the 1972 state championship team.
He threw for 2,695 yards in three seasons as a quarterback – two of those as a starter.
In 1972, he threw for 1,377 yards in an offense that featured the wishbone attack.
In the state semifinals, Mathis ran for a pair of scores after Trigg’s leading rusher Selby Grubbs had been ejected as the Wildcats beat Richmond Madison 19-10.
In Trigg County’s 22-0 shutout win over Pikeville in the Class A championship game, Mathis threw for 114 yards.
In 1973, Mathis threw for 1,318 yards and set a school record with 19 completions in a 22-21 season-opening loss to Christian County. He finished with 214 yards.
Perhaps the biggest testament to Mathis’ toughness came in Trigg’s district championship loss to Todd County Central. Mathis suffered a separated shoulder in the first quarter that eventually required surgery after the game in Nashville.
He still completed 16-of-32 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns in what proved to be his last game as a Wildcat.
In addition to his 2,695 career yards, Mathis completed 158 passes and threw for 23 touchdowns which still rank in the top 10 on Trigg’s all-time lists.
Here is Jimmy’s induction speech.
