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Lindsey Wilson College footballCoach Chris Oliver hasnt signed a

recruit yet from Russell County, but hepaid a visit in March to someone whostill has two years of eligibility left.

The only drawback is that theprospect hasnt played a college foot-ball game in almost 74 years.

Cloyd Lacy of Russell Springs, Ky.,is the only known remaining playerfrom the last Lindsey Wilson footballteam. Lindsey Wilson folded its foot-

ball program after the 1935 season inorder to focus on a mens basketball

program, which became a charter mem-ber of the Kentucky Junior CollegeAthletic Conference.

A Columbia resident, Lacy commut-ed to his classes and football practicesat Lindsey Wilson. Lacy told Oliver thatthe Lindsey Wilson football team prac-ticed about three times a week before

playing an area team on a weekdayafternoon.

Lindsey Wilsons home footballgames were played on an open field

behind Phillips Hall, an area that is nowpart of the Campus Quadrangle andHolloway Building. The games whichusually pitted Lindsey Wilson against ahigh school team from Bowling Green,Columbia, Glasgow or Lebanon attracted about 50 people or so, Lacysaid.

The players wore leather helmets andlittle equipment; and the crowd wasusually composed of Lindsey Wilson

students and faculty, along with a fewpeople from town, Lacy said.

Lacy couldnt recall the name of hiscoach, but he told Oliver that football

was coached by two or three from thefaculty. And he said that a facultymember who was a regular at homefootball games was A.P. White, who

taught history and also served as thesecond president of Lindsey Wilson.

When the LWC football team trav-eled, no team bus or vans were avail-able. So players piled into four or fivecars and traveled over mostly dirt roadsto meet their opponents.

Lacy grew up in Columbia and grad-uated from the former Columbia HighSchool in 1933. He played town ball

a form of baseball during his forma-tive years, but Lacy didnt play football

until after he enrolled at LindseyWilson.

When asked what position he playedat LWC, Lacy replied: In the middle of

the field. And because LindseyWilson had fewer than twodozen players, he often playedas a reserve on defense andoffense. The colleges overallenrollment was about 80 duringthose years.

Lacy was one of five mem-

bers of his family who attendedLindsey Wilson. His older

Cloyd Lacy Recalls Playing on LWCs Last Football Team

Lindsey Wilson College football coach Chris Oliver (left) presents former LWC football player

Cloyd Lacy of Russell Springs, Ky., an LWC football shirt. Lacy is the only known remaining play-

er from the last Lindsey Wilson football team.

B L U E RA I D E R L E A T H E RH E A D

Notre Dame College will be thefirst opponent of the resurrected

Lindsey Wilson College football

program. The Falcons of South

Euclid, Ohio, will face the Blue

Raiders at 1:30 p.m. CT on Sept. 4,

2010 in Columbia.

The game will be of significance

to both schools. LWC is returning to

the gridiron after a 75-year

absence; the Falcons will play for

the first time in varsity competition.

Notre Dame was an all-womens

college until 2001.

Notre Dame College is also

going through the process of start-

ing a football program, so this

seems to be a good fit for both

schools, said LWC coach Chris

Oliver. I am familiar with their

coaching staff, and I know that they

will be a well-coached football

team.

The Blue Raiders to make areturn trip to Notre Dame College

on Sept. 3, 2011.

Blue Raiders Open Sept. 4

against Notre Dame College

Watch a Three-

Minute Thursdayseg-

ment with Cloyd Lacy

on the Lindsey Wilson

YouTube Channel:www.youtube.com/lwcpublicrelations.

Search Cloyd Lacy.

Lacy on YouTube

Continued on Next Page

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After signing 58 players in his firstrecruiting class last spring, LindseyWilson College football coach ChrisOliver then turned in May to building hiscoach staff. He named Brian Foos offen-

sive coordinator and Mike Guteliusdefensive coordinator.Not only are both of them great foot-

ball coaches, but they truly care aboutthe academic and personal success oftheir players, Oliver said. Those traitsfall right in line with the goals and mis-sion of Blue Raider football.

For the last five seasons, Foos andOliver worked together at OhioDominican University. Foos coachedtight ends and quarterbacks; was the

teams academic coordinator in 2008;and was named offensive coordinatorand recruiting coordinator when Oliverleft for LWC in January.

Hes an effective coach who pusheshis players to succeed on the field and inthe classroom, Oliver said.

Foos was defensive line coach at OhioWesleyan University in 2003 and assis-tant offensive line coach at Otterbein(Ohio) College in 2002.

I fully appreciate the Lindsey Wilson

College mission, and Im eager to workwith Coach Oliver and this staff to pro-duce quality student-athletes that live upto that mission, Foos said.

Gutelius comes to LWC after spend-ing six seasons as Concord (W.Va.)Universitys assistant head coach anddefensive coordinator. He also devel-oped, organized and managed the teamsacademic success program.

After getting to know Coach

Gutelius throughout this process, hequickly separated himself from a verylarge pool of candidates, Oliver said.

Prior to Concord, Gutelius spent twoseasons as defensive ends coach at

Wingate (N.C.) University. He has alsocoached at University of La Verne(Calif.), St. Norbert (Wis.) College andCatholic University of America.

Im thrilled to have the opportunityto assist Coach Oliver and help build achampionship football program while

working closely with the faculty andadministration to help develop our stu-dent-athletes into quality young men,Gutelius said.

brothers, Edgar and Alton, and sisters,Bettie and Victoria, also attended thecollege.

Following graduation from LindseyWilson, Lacy taught school in the area.After subsisting on a $60-a-monthteachers salary for four years (which heonly received during the seven-monthschool year), Lacy operated a WesternAuto store for more than 50 years inRussell Springs.

Lacy gave up football when he leftLindsey Wilson, but he stayed connect-ed to the college. He and his wife, Ina,

sent three of their daughters to LindseyWilson: Marilyn, Sherry and Meda.

Lacy told Oliver that he hopes the

Blue Raiders have a better record whenfootball resumes on Sept. 4, 2010, thanthey did during his years at the college.While Lacy was on the team, Lindsey

Wilson won only a couple games.

Oliver told Lacy that the BlueRaiders probably will throw the foot-

ball a little more than they did backthen. When Lacy played at LindseyWilson, the forward pass as a legal playin college football was less than 30years old; and even by the 1930s, the

pass was often used as a play of lastresort.

Because of NAIA rules, Oliver reck-

oned that Lacy would still be eligible toplay football at his alma mater. NAIArules allow a student-athlete 10 semes-

ters to play four seasons of intercolle-giate competition. And because Lacyonly attended Lindsey Wilson for foursemesters, he would have two years of

eligibility remaining.

But rather than suiting up for thereturn of football at his alma mater,Lacy agreed to serve as honorary teamcaptain of LWCs first home game in 75years. Oliver also invited Lacy to theteams pre-game breakfast on Sept. 4,2010, and also to offer a few words ofencouragement before the game.

It would be an honor for our teamto hear from a person who played on

our colleges last football team, Olivertold Lacy.

Gutelius, Foos Anchor Olivers Staff

Football coach Chris Oliver (center) is flanked by defensive coordinator Mike Gutelius (left) and

offensive coordinator Brian Foos.

Cloyd Lacy Played Football In the Middle of the FieldContinued from Previous Page