10/11/2026
Thx for recognizing and remembering the amazing talent and men from DuBois High School.
Another school basketball team history is highlited as we continue Black History Month
MT. STERLING DUBOIS- High School Basketball History
This school began basketball in the 1940-41 season. This coming after the building of the school in 1939. In its first season they finished with a 10-6 record. They concluded their basketball history as the school merged in with Mt.. Sterling to begin the 1964-65 school year. The last season of 1963-64 saw them go 15-10. The school burned from arson in 1964, forcing the merger. Interestingly, the fire started while the fire department was attending a white grade school fire on the other side of town. There had been in the works talks of integrating.
The Hornets had but three head coaches in its 24 years- Arthur Robert Hawkins guided them four seasons, going 29-20, William Austed ( sometimes spelled as Austen) led them nine seasons, going 148-69 and William Elster guided the Hornets their last 12 seasons while going 153-157. Though Elster’s time as head coach showed four more losses than wins he had the two best seasons in the school’s history in the 1961-62 season as they were 23-8 and the following season as they finished at 22-5.
There are four of the school’s players listed in Jeff Bridgeman’s wonderful Ky High School Basketball Encyclopedia as being their best-. They are Scott Darnell, John D. King, James Mason and Don Williams. Those are the listings of the school from its time in the Ky High School Black Athletic League and that league existed only until 1958 so there are more that should be brought to our attention.
Certainly in the 1961-62 season John Hamilton was mentioned quite a bit in newspapers as a terrific scorer. James Botts was also a great player on that 1961-62 Hornets team. Botts and Hamilton would be among the best in the 16th Region that season according to The Courier-Journal.
In 1958 DuBois saw its first action in the now integrated post season tournament. They played in the 61st District Tourney hosted that year by Montgomery County. They fell in the first round of the six team District Tournament to Wi******er 60-49.
In the 1961 District Tournament the Hornets finally made a showing. They won their first District Tournament game over St. Agatha Academy 85-42. Then they turned back Camargo 57-49 before falling to always powerful Clark County 66-50.
In the 16th Regional Tournament the Hornets won their opener against Rowan County 60-49 before once again falling to Clark County 87-52. That was tough but consider 1961 was the year of junior Larry Conley, Harold Sargent and the mighty Ashland Tomcats., arguably the best high school boys team in state history. The Tomcats and Hornets were both in the 16th Region.
In 1962 the Hornets were once again in the post season hunt. They edged Camargo 45-42 and found themselves once again in the District championship game against Clark County. Although a loss to Clark County in the District finals by 17 points maybe shook them a little, it also maybe got their dander up as they defeated Rowan County in the Regional 60-46 and then knocked out Olive Hill in a semifinal match by 15 points. Twenty points were scored by the aforementioned John Hamilton. They then faced a senior Larry Conley and Ashland in the finale.
The Hornets could not handle the Tomcats, falling 82-64. Hamilton was the game’s high point man with 23. They never returned to Regional Tournament play in the school’s final two seasons.
Here is a touch of history on one of the school’s great administrators and coaches: Arthur Hawkins taught there after he graduated from Kentucky State in Frankfort. He had not attended high school there. He became DuBois principal in 1940 as well as teaching history and geography. He was also a coach of some of the athletic teams and head coach of football. He was principal there until the school burned in 1964 then he became the assistant football coach at Mt. Sterling High School under head coach Charles "Chili" Ishmael.
Hawkins also happens to be the first African-American member of the KHSAA. In his college football days at Kentucky State Mr. Hawkins helped the school win the Negro National Football championship in the mid 1930’s. His son Robert played football at the University of Ky and although others played in front of him he was recognized by pro scouts and had a brief pro career with the Oakland Raiders and St. Louis Cardinals. The Montgomery County High School for a long time presented an annual award named for him.
