When a painter mixes orange, black, red and blue on their palette, chances are high they will end up with some hue of a dark, muddy brown on the end of their brush.
It’s a fitting analogy for the Hopkinsville and Christian County rivalry, because it is so ingrained in the very soil of south western Kentucky, and consolidation in 2026 will only blend it more so.
From 1962 until this past Friday, the tough Tigers and classy Colonels girded for the gridiron — wanting nothing more than to save embarrassment and walk away the victor, rather than be the vanquished, and boast “braggin’ rights” for the next 12 months.
Someone had to lose, but the community always won.
Leading up to “The Last Game,” nostalgia ran deep in both ardent, proud fan bases, and for good reason.
Take, for instance, Roy Keller — who for more than 40 years has been the diligent statistician for the Tigers, but himself is a Colonel graduate.
He bleeds both, and in 1962, he was in the eighth grade at Millbrooke Elementary School. At the time, he hated Hoptown, and the hate did not fade until 1981.
Of all the Hoptown-County matchups over the years, Keller said the 1993 battle sticks with him the most (and the early ’80s matchup against Paducah Tilghman is second).
On this particular evening, it was his son Heath’s senior year, and little did they know the winds of change and circumstance were about to prevail.
Keller isn’t the only one who is bilingual in local ball.
Craig Clayton was forged in this crucible, hammered and chiseled thanks to his late father and another legendary coach, Fred, whose accolades included Caldwell County’s first state football title in 1963, Christian County’s first-ever win over Hopkinsville in 1977, a Class of 1999 Kentucky High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame induction, and an insidious murderer’s row player-coaching tree that included Joe Jaggers, Pat Gates, Wayne Sweeney, Steve Pardue…and, of course, his son.
As Hopkinsville’s winningest coach, Clayton the younger remains deeply entrenched in Tiger football even today, after answering the call from up-and-coming skipper Dustin Lopez. But he had plenty of success on the other side, too, as an assistant under pops.
He will wholly admit that when consolidation was first bandied about a few years ago, he wasn’t all for it. To him, it academically made sense, but there were other concerns — most of them stemming from the bitter, but fun, series.
Now, he’s fully on board — ready to provide the needed transition from foes to friends.
A Skip In Time
It was cold enough to wear a jacket Friday night, and wouldn’t you know it? Mike Ricks looked like yesterday, donned in his Christian County Class of 1974 letter-man jacket — and a white, fuzzy “C” on the left breast.
An offensive lineman for both Claytons, the 1973 battle with Hopkinsville still rings in his mind — a 7-6 loss in which the Colonels went for two, and the win, and came up short.
“This whole thing,” he said, referring to the merger, “is bittersweet.”
Ricks’ best friend and co-lineman, Mike Atkins, was supposed to accompany him in this denouement, but down with an illness, it was Atkins’ wife, Cynthia, who “subbed in” for the fun.
She was in the Colonel band, and took it upon herself those four high school years to learn the game of football.
Ultimately, she said, she married a football coach — one who also learned both sidelines — and it’s her belief that it’s time to leave things in the past where they belong.
The Future
From his noggin to his Nikes, Hopkinsville High School Athletic Director Jacob Ezell was full-clad in orange and black Friday night.
But he, too, has Christian County red-and-blue running richly in his reality — and vivid childhood memories of a first love.
Living near Hopkinsville High School as a kid, he had to have his “Hoptown” shirt on every Friday, and even now that hasn’t changed. He has watched it, played it, coached it, and is one of many now leading it into this next chapter — one filled with uncertainty, hope, promise, planning and expectation.
Consolidation isn’t some unprecedented thing, but Ezell said one thing is clear: everybody cares.
Ezell assured it’s “okay to be scared of change,” but that, unselfishly, this is “about the kids, and not the adults.”
Can’t Stop The Signal
Jeff Sisk, WHOP Radio’s long-time voice of the Tigers, has full plans to at least have Keller, Ted Jatczak and Joe Wilson all in the commentary fold when the 2026-27 athletic season begins — and maybe others.
Perhaps this softens the blow for some, as steady voices bring continuity and clarity in what can sometimes feel like confusion or chaos.
A graduate of Hopkinsville High School who also played football for the Tigers, Sisk simply said the rivalry — and now the responsibility — means a lot.
Sisk also said that people needn’t look further than each school’s storied football history, in order to grasp the potential success on the way.
Surrounded by 4,000 Colonels fans — and their soon-to-be retired mascot, in favor of some fangs — Christian County Public Schools Director of Communication Johnna Brown said it simply.
“Every game should be like this. Every game can be like this.”
One Response
As a 1952 graduate of Russellville H S, I still recall the intensity of our contests with Hoptown. Before Christian County. But my teaching colleague and golf opponent at Oldham County, Barry Thweatt, guided the Colonels for several years. Also remember Coach Clayton. Sad for the closing, but good luck in the future.
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