Coal Grove alumnus and retired educator Mike Nourse research and put together a compilation of the Hornets’ football history.
Coal Grove hosts Chesapeake Friday in the Battle for the Little Brown Jug. Nourse researched the origin of the rivalry and the winning team’s prize.
Here is the history behind the game as written by Nourse.
The Hornets clinched the Lawrence County League championship with a 7-0 win over Chesapeake on Nov. 20, 1936 to finished the season with a 4-0-2 league record.
This was the first season that Coal Grove and Chesapeake played for “The Little Brown Jug.”
As the story was related to me: In 1936 two old friends, Coal Grove Hornets Coach Pat Patterson and Chesapeake Panthers Coach Tip Woods, made a friendly wager.
The winning team would receive The Little Brown Jug and keep possession of the Jug until beaten by the other team. The Hornets won that first battle for the Jug as related above.
The Hornets have won the Little Brown Jug 51 times, the Panthers 19 times, and two games ended in ties.
The two teams did not play in 1942 and 1943 when Chesapeake did not field a team. The Panthers longest hold on the Jug was from 1998-2006, a period of nine seasons. The Hornets held the Jug for 15 years, 1976-90.
The captain of the 1936 Coal Grove Hornets was Raymond Griffith. Seven Hornets were chosen to the All-County Team. They were: Paul Adams, Alvin Dalton, Walter Dillon, Joe Griffith, Raymond Griffith, Chad Norris, and John Pemberton.
Team members as listed in the Coal Grove Hornets Football Records Book 1928-2002 were: Emerson Adams, Paul Adams, George Cassidy, Frank Chapman, Dan Clay, Alvin Dalton, Bill Deeds, Harvey Deeds, Jennings Deeds, Walter Dillon, Walden Fannin, Ben Fearing, Berkley Fields, Max Fields, George Gray, Joe Griffith, Raymond Griffith, Jake Grove, Donald Law, Russell Lively, Arwine McCarley, Ralph Nance, Charles (Chad) Norris, Chet Norris, John Pemberton, Fred Roush, Mel Roush, and Carl Willis.