Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

RACELAND, Ky. — For Rick Howard, this will be a streetcar holiday.
Like a lot of former Ironton graduates, Rick Howard is coming home for the holidays. But Howard is coming home to work as well as visit.
The Ironton graduate who was a standout in football and basketball has been the head coach of the Lady Mountaineers at Heritage High School in Maryville, TN., for the past 33 years.
During that time, Howard has won 414 games with only 160 losses and was recently inducted into the Blount County athletic Hall of Fame. Howard is the school’s all-time victory leader.
Heritage is playing in the Whitley County at 4:15 p.m. Friday in the Ryan Keeton eXp Realty Ohio River Classic at Raceland (Ky.) High School.
Heritage is 12-1 on the season and ranked 8th in the Tennessee Class 3A coaches’ poll.
“We’re a pretty good team but we’re in the toughest district in the state. Three of the top 10 teams are in our district. But rankings don’t mean anything. It’s what you do in the tournament that matters to me,” said Howard.
The Lady Mountaineers are led by 5-foot-8 junior point guard Lexie Patty whom Howard said “is a D1 type player.”
Patty is averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds a game. Despite her size and position, Howard said Patty jumps well.
“As a guard, she had 17 rebounds the other night,” said Howard.
Two other key players are 5-10 junior Kaitlin Burger and 5-11 senior center Emma Harig who is coming off knee surgery but has signed with Cleveland State in Tennessee.
Burger averages 13 points a game.
“We get out and run with ball. We’re fun to watch,” Howard said. “If they don’t play defense, I’ll get on them.”
Howard — who has an Ohio State decorated den and whose phone plays the Buckeyes’ fight song as his ringtone — brought his team to the Raceland tournament a couple of years ago and enjoyed the experience.
“I’m excited. I wanted to come up again,” said Howard who was a first team All-Ohio selection in 1976 in football and helped lead the Fighting Tigers to the Class AA regional finals in 1977.
Heritage would play again on Saturday at 3:30 with a win and noon with a loss. A win would put them in the championship game at 5:15 on Sunday.