.jpg)
Wlaf1450TOP PHOTO: Barry Jackson took time to chat back in July at Litho-Craft.
By Jim Freeman
LOG MOUNTAIN, KY (WLAF) – Like so many great athletes, Barry Jackson’s modesty makes it a real challenge to write a story about him. We’d talked for about twenty minutes one morning back in July before he mumbled something about a hall of fame.
“I think they’re going to induct me into the Bell County Sports Hall of Fame, maybe in the fall sometime,” said Jackson. I asked if he had any stats or newspaper clippings or photos, and he said his daughter had some of that information, but that he had not kept up with much of that. He played at the now closed Henderson Settlement School at Frakes, Kentucky, about a mile from where he grew up.
The legendary stories of Jackson’s career come easier from others than Barry like the thousand points scored his senior year at Henderson Settlement School (K-12) or the 60 point night or the 25 points he poured through in the last two minutes of a game.
“As we started the Hall of Fame, people kept talking about Barry Jackson. I didn’t know him, but I was hearing all these great stories,” said Brian Yankey, Director of the Bell County Sports Hall of Fame. Barry was named Honorable Mention All-State by the Louisville Courier Journal, and he was the leading scorer in the state for much, if not all, his senior season finishing either first or second, according to Yankey.
Henderson Settlement High School combined with the old Bell County High School in 1976. Lone Jack High School also became a part of BCHS. The new Bell County High School came along in 1984.
Jackson and others in this third HOF Class will be introduced at halftime of tonight’s Bell-Rockcastle Counties football game. The whole Jackson family will attend totaling 11 counting a few friends.
There will be a meet and greet before the game, and I’d say it’s a safe bet most there will hear much about Barry’s storied career but not from him.
Here is a republished story from the Louisville Courier Journal about the Henderson Settlement versus Red Bird Mission game where Jackson score 52 of the Bears 100 points. It was Jackson’s last home basketball game.
Jackson Leads Win Over Rival Red Bird
By Walt Johnson
Henderson Settlement – Ky. – It’s not always the largest schools or the most prominent teams that provide the most exciting games as was illustrated last night at Henderson Settlement as the Bears took a thriller from the Red Bird Cardinals 100-76.
The game was ready made for the spectators as both teams played wide open, run and shoot basketball and ran neck and neck until the Bears exploded for 43 points in the fourth period.
The Cardinals seemed to have a rally going as with the 3:10 showing on the clock, their full court 1-2-1-1 press had trimmed the score to within seven points at 75 – 68. At 2:32 on the clock, the Cardinal’s six-foot five center Steve Gavin fouled out and the Bears’ were sparked by Barry Jackson 25 points in the final two and one-half minutes.
Jackson, started the game able to find room underneath for his back-handed lay up but when that door closed, he changed to shooting a hook shot from about ten feet, and when that was stopped he went outside and under heavy pressure burned the nets from 20-25 feet.
To say that Jackson was unstoppable, borders on the ridiculous for the senior center hit shots and drew fouls from all corers of the floor and with amazing consistency. He hit 21 of 38 shots from the field and the ten of twelve from the foul line. His nightly total – 52 points and 18 rebounds.
Gary Gambrel added 20 points and 22 rebounds and Johnny Partin chipped in 13 points.
Red Bird was led in the scoring department by Don Collett who tallied 22 points. Following Collett was Garvin with 17 points and Tracy Green with 13 points.
Henderson Settlement led Red Bird 39-33 at half time, a lead that it got only in the waning moments. Both teams came out pressing in the second half and with the inevitable fouls holding up to the clock the two teams raced to a 61-43 second half score.
The capping of the evening came when with :02 left in the game, Jackson took a pass at mid-court, took two steps and sank a 35 foot jump shot to send the Bears over the century mark in his last home game.
As two young fans were heard in remark concerning Jackson and the amount of time left on the clock, “If they can just get it to him,” There was no doubt in their minds, just the stated fact, then it was once again – “Jackson for two.”
| Red Bird | Henderson |
| Bieg Collett 9 | B Jackson 52 |
| Steve Garvin 17 | Gary Gambrel 20 |
| Paul Turner 5 | Rocky Cobb 3 |
| Tracy Green 13 | Johnny Partin 13 |
| Don Collett 22 | Ralph Teague 0 |
| Dan Taylor 5 | Ray Harm Jr 9 |
| James Asher 5 | Fred Partin 2 |
| James Hickman 1 | |
| Total 76 | Total 100 |
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/29/2023-6AM)
WOW!!