Scott Brown's SportsBytes on WKDZ

Full court bounce pass for a dunk

How do you go the length of the floor with one second and end the play with a dunk?  Vinita High in Oklahoma shows you how from a game two weeks ago.

 

8th District Basketball Tournament Pairings

Here are the matchups for the 8th District Basketball Tournament hosted by Christian County High School.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20

BOYS

Hopkinsville vs. Fort Campbell, 6 p.m.

• Hopkinsville is the district and region favorite with a 24-2 record.  The Tigers will be looking for their first district title since 2004.  The teams met just once during the season with Hoptown thumping the Falcons 101-41 on Jan. 19.  Fort Campbell is 4-17 on the season and have lost 16 of 17 district tourney games against Hoptown.  Their lone win over the Tigers came in 2006.  Fort Campbell has never won a district boys basketball title.

Christian County vs. University Heights, 7:30 p.m.

• Although Christian County won the Sweet 16 state title last year, they lost to UHA 58-56 in the 8th District title game.  Neither team is the same as what they put on the floor last year.  The Colonels are 7-18 but only eight of their games have been played against Second Region opponents.  One of those was a 64-58 loss to UHA in December.  The Blazers are 13-9 and have won two straight tourney games over the Colonels.


TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21

GIRLS

Hopkinsville vs. Fort Campbell, 6 p.m.

• Hopkinsville is considered one of the favorites to win a wide open Second Region.  The Lady Tigers are trying to win consecutive district titles for the first time in 22 years.  Hoptown is 24-4 and a perfect 13-0 against Second Region teams.  Fort Campbell is 3-16 and lost a pair of blowouts to the Lady Tigers -- 72-30 in December and 56-22 in January.  Fort Campbell hasn't won a district tournament game since 2005 (0-5) and haven't won a district title since 1997.

Christian County vs. University Heights, 7:30 p.m.

• Either of these teams could challenge Hopkinsville for the district title.  UHA is 1-14 in district tournament games with the school's lone postseason win coming in 2007.  The Lady Blazers have set a school record with 19 wins but managed a split with Christian County during the season, winning 76-69 on Jan. 14 but losing to the Lady Colonels 69-55 on Jan. 19.  Christian County has won six of eight games, with one of those losses to Hopkinsville.


FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24

Girls Championship game at 6 p.m.

Boys Championship game at 8 p.m.

7th District Basketball Tournament Pairings

Here are the matchups for the 7th District Basketball Tournament at Caldwell County.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20

GIRLS

Madisonville vs. Hopkins County Central, 6 p.m.

• Madisonville has won the last four matchups in the district tourney between these two county rivals.  Madisonville has been playing better basketball of late, winning five of eight games to up their record to 10-17.  Hopkins Central has also been playing better of late, winning half their six games in the month of February.  The teams split during the regular season with the Lady Storm winning 64-44 on their home floor and losing 60-33 in Madisonville last month.  Madisonville has won five straight district titles.


BOYS

Caldwell County vs. Hopkins County Central, 7:30 p.m.

• Caldwell County won the 7th District title in their second year in the district in 2007 but haven't won a postseason game since (0-4).  While the Tigers have established a program first by losing 20 games in three straight seasons, they have played the Storm close this year, losing 58-50 in December and 74-61 last Tuesday.  Hopkins Central (9-18) has eliminated the Tigers the last two seasons. 


TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21

GIRLS

Caldwell County vs. Dawson Springs, 6 p.m.

• Caldwell County (14-10) will be the only 7th District girls team with a winning record in the postseason.  The Lady Tigers lost their first three first round games after moving to the 7th District but have now won three straight.  Dawson Springs has never won a girls district title and have lost six of their last seven district tourney games.  Caldwell County won all three matchups with Dawson Springs during the season, but the margin shrank each time.  Caldwell won 51-27 in December, 68-47 in January, and 44-39 this week.


BOYS

Madisonville vs. Dawson Springs, 7:30 p.m.

• Madisonville may be the heaviest favorite to win a district title in the Second Region.  At 18-8, Madisonville has three more wins than the other three district teams combined.  Dawson Sprins hasn't won a postseason game since 2006 and have lost six straight district tourney games to the Maroons dating back to 1997 -- the last time the Panthers won a district championship.  Madisonville won a pair of laughers over Dawson Springs this year -- 78-37 in December and 80-35 in January.


THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23

Girls Championship at 6 p.m.

Boys Championship at 8 p.m.



5th District Basketball Tournament Pairings

Here are the pairings for the Fifth District Tournament that begins the week of February 20th at Lyon County High School in Eddyville.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20

BOYS

(1) Livingston Central vs. (4) Crittenden County, 6 p.m.

• Livingston Central came into Friday's game with a record of 16-10, but a perfect 6-0 in disrict play to claim the top seed.  Crittenden County was 10-17 entering Friday but have won four of their last six games.  The teams played three times during the season, with Livingston winning all three times.  The Cardinals won 41-32 in December and 65-51 in January.  In the All-A Classic Region Tournament, Livingston held on for a 53-51 win.  It's only the fourth time in the last 10 years that the teams have met and the first since 2008.

(2) Trigg County vs. (3) Lyon County, 7:30 p.m.

• Trigg County's only two district losses were to Livingston Central, but they had to sweat out a pair of wins over Lyon County during the regular season.  Trigg County (21-6) beat the Lyons 77-66 in Cadiz in December and 68-61 in Eddyville last month.  Lyon County is 13-14 following Friday's loss to Hopkinsville but have still won five of seven games.  Trigg County hasn't beaten Lyon County on their home floor in the district tournament since 1979 (0-2) and have a 4-7 district tournament record at Jason White Gymnasium since 1979.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21

GIRLS

(1) Livingston Central vs. (4) Crittenden County, 6 p.m.

• Livingston Central rolled through the district with six regular wins and a victory of Lyon County in the All-A Region Tournament.  The Cardinals are 19-5 and have two shots at getting their 20th win of the season next week.  Crittenden County has gone from Second Region champs to a 3-21 record entering Friday's games.  Crittenden lost to the Lady Cardinals 57-35 in December and 68-31 in Smithland in January.  The district has produced four different champions the last four years.

(2) Lyon County vs. (3) Trigg County, 7:30 p.m.

• Both teams have been scuffling of late.  Lyon County has dropped five straight games to fall to 8-18 on the season, while Trigg County has also lost five in a row.  The Lady Wildcats are 10-13, and the chances of their first winning season in a decade are slipping away.  Lyon County won both games during the regular season -- 52-49 in Cadiz in December and 54-41 in January in Eddyville.  Trigg County is just 4-7 all-time in distric tourney games in Eddyville, but have lost 18 straight games to the Lady Lyons in Eddyville dating back to 1996.  Lyon County has won four straight disrict tourney games over Trigg dating back to 2001. 

 

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23

Boys Championship Game at 7pm.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24

Girls Championship Game at 7 p.m.

 

 

Mike Wright gets 200th coaching win as Wildcat coach

Mike Wright picked up his 200th career coaching win as Wildcat head coach Tuesday night with an 83-48 win over Dawson Springs.

For his boys' coaching career, Wright is 200-207 in 15 seasons as Wildcat head coach.  His record is 77-59 since returning to the bench in 2007.

Wright was 88-99 in seven seasons as Lady Wildcat head coach from 1985-92.  Overall, his record is 288-306.

Here is a breakdown of the four winningest coaches in TCHS history

COACH.................RECORD..............WINS/SEASON.......DISTRICT..........REGION

Mike Wright...........200-207.................13.3..................9-10..............5-3

Jim Wallace............156-145................14.1..................18-7...............7-6

Duke Burnett...........133-77..................16.6..................11-5..............2-4

Bill Chumbler............79-39..................19.7...................7-1...............3-4

 

(Kentucky New Era photo)

 

KME Classic begins today at Trigg County

Here is the schedule for the Kentucky Machine and Engineering Classic that begins today at Trigg County's Wildcat Gym. 

Games involving Trigg County will air on WKDZ 100.9 FM and online at www.wkdzradio.com.

KME Classic

Dec. 21 

10:50   Caldwell County (5-2) v Dawson Springs (1-6) (Girls)

12:40   Murray (1-5) v Todd County (3-4) (Boys)

2:30     Heath (1-5) v Hickman County (0-6) (Girls)

4:20     Crittenden County (3-3) v Stewart County, TN (3-6) (Boys)

6:10     Trigg County (3-4) v Caldwell County (5-3) (Girls)

8:00     Trigg County (7-1) v Murray (Boys)

 

Dec. 22

9:00     Dawson Springs v Heath (Girls)

10:50   Trigg County v Todd County (Boys)

12:40   Trigg County v Hickman County (Girls)

2:30     Stewart County, TN v Murray (Boys)

4:20     Heath v Caldwell County (Girls)

6:10     Trigg County v Dawson Springs (Girls)

8:00     Trigg County v Crittenden County (Boys)

 

Dec. 23

9:00     Stewart County, TN v Todd County (Boys)

10:50   Hickman County v Caldwell County (Girls)

12:40   Todd County v Crittenden County (Boys)

2:30     Dawson Springs v Hickman County (Girls)

4:20     Crittenden County v Murray (Boys)

6:10     Trigg County v Heath (Girls)

8:00     Trigg County v Stewart County (Boys)

Trigg County announces second Athletic Hall of Fame class

Trigg County High School has announced their second Athletic Hall of Fame class. 

Athletes, coaches, and contributors to athletic programs at TCHS were considered for induction to the hall of fame, based on criteria that includes, but is not limited to, athletic accomplishments (both in high school and college), contributions to the athletic program, community impact, and citizenship. 

The second Trigg County Hall of Fame class consists of:

Chappel Allen was a starting forward/center on the Trigg County basketball teams of the early 1950s.  As a senior in 1953-54, Allen averaged 13.5 points a game for the Wildcats.  While that average was second on the team behind Glen Simpson (15.8), it was the fourth-highest season scoring average in the first 17 seasons of Trigg County High School basketball.

After high school, Allen settled in Cadiz and founded Kentucky Machine and Engineering.  Through his business and personal contributions, Allen has been one of the biggest supporters of Trigg County athletics through the years.  Allen and KME have helped sponsor football bowl games and basketball tournaments.  He has also made other contributions that have helped improve athletic facilities.  Retired TCHS athletic director Jim Perrin called Allen one of the largest community supporters he has worked with in his many years of athletic work.

Duke Burnett was the Trigg County High School basketball coach from 1959-67.  His record in eight seasons as Wildcat skipper was 133-77.  His wins are the third most in school history and his .633 winning percentage ranks as second-highest.

Six of Burnett’s eight teams had winning records.  However, his biggest challenge came in his second season as head coach when the school and gymnasium burned to the ground in the summer of 1960.  Practicing in a warehouse and playing all of their games on the road in Hopkinsville and Christian County for two seasons, the Wildcats were a combined 25-25. 

Burnett’s 1962-63 team christened the new Wildcat Gym with 20 wins in 23 games in their new home.  The Wildcats set a school record with 23 wins and their first district title in 23 years.  Trigg County won the school’s first region tournament game over Livingston Central before losing to Princeton Dotson in the semifinals.

The Wildcats again won 23 games and a district title in 1965 before losing to Hopkinsville Attucks in the region semifinals.

Burnett won his third and final district title for Trigg County in his final season in 1967.

David Butts was a three-sport star for the Wildcats from 1977-82.

He was the starting quarterback for the Wildcats in 1980 and 1981 and was a guard for the basketball Wildcats.

Butts was a member of the Wildcat baseball team as an eighth-grader and led the team with a .430 batting average as a junior.  Butts hit .500 as a senior, again leading the Wildcats in that category.

Butts played college baseball at Murray State where he led the Racers in hits for three seasons, runs scored two seasons, and stolen bases his senior season.  His 28 career home runs still ranks seventh on the Murray State career list.  Butts was a two-time All-Ohio Valley Conference selection while at Murray State.

Butts was selected in the 20^th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Atlanta Braves.  He played four seasons in the minor leagues, advancing as high as Class AA baseball at Greenville.  He was a career .262 hitter with 18 home runs during his minor league travels.

Selby Grubbs was the leading rusher and scorer for Trigg County’s state champion football teams in 1971 and 1972.  Grubbs also threw the shot put and discus for the Wildcat track teams.

Selby was a starter for the Wildcat football team as a sophomore but flourished under the offense of first-year head coach Joe Jaggers in 1971.  Grubbs rushed for a school-record 1,714 yards as the Wildcats surprised many by defeating Lynch for the school’s first state title.

In 1972, Grubbs followed that up by rushing for 2,242 yards which still stands as the single season school rushing record.  He rushed for 30 touchdowns and ran for 175 yards in Trigg County’s shutout win over Pikeville in the 1972 state title game.

His senior season totals of 30 rushing touchdowns, 212 points, and 16 two-point conversion runs remain school records as do his 58 career touchdowns and 376 career points.

Grubbs signed to play football at Western Kentucky University.  He still lives in Cadiz and has served on the Trigg County Board of Education.

Joe Jaggers coached Trigg County football from 1971-76, amassing a record of 46 wins and 25 losses.  His .648 winning percentage remains the second-highest in TCHS history.

Jaggers skippered the Wildcats to a 13-1 record in 1971 and the school’s first state football championship with a win over Class 1A power Lynch in the title game.

The Wildcats followed that up in 1972 with another 13-1 record and a dominating win over Pikeville in the state championship game.

The 1972 Wildcats averaged a school-record 34.2 points a game – a mark that stood for 28 years.  The defense also allowed just 6.6 points a game, bettered only by the Wildcat teams of 1940 and 1984.

After leaving Trigg County in 1976, Jaggers went on to win state football titles at Fort Knox and retired as the state’s all time winningest coach with 273 victories.

Sam Love was a state record track and cross country runner who still holds school and state records some 30 years later.

Love was the three-time winner of the 800 and 1500-meter runs at the Kentucky State Track and Field Meet, running school record times of 1:45.7 in the 800 meters and 3:58.9 in the 1500 meters his senior season.  His 800-meter time remains a Class 1A state meet record today.

“Fox” also ran anchor on the 1,600-meter relay team that won back-to-back state titles with the latter squad running a time of 3:21.40 in 1982 that also remains a Class 1A state record today.

After finishing second at the state cross country meet as a sophomore, Love won consecutive state titles the next two years, winning in his senior season in a meet record time of 16:16.

Love also played basketball and was named the inaugural winner of the Millard Griffin Sixth Man Award as a senior when he came off the bench to average nine points and 5.5 rebounds a game.

Love signed to run at the University of Kentucky, choosing the Wildcats over Western Kentucky and Kansas.

“Fox” was named Kentucky’s inaugural Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year following his senior year in 1982, beating out basketball players Jeff Hall and Todd May and Rowan County’s Joe Magrane, who pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals.

David Radford is considered by many to be the best athlete to play sports at Trigg County High School.

Radford played several positions on the football field, including quarterback his senior season in 1967 when the Wildcats won their first district title and advanced to the playoffs for the first time in school history.  Radford made his name known on defense where he set a school record with 12 solo tackles and 21 total tackles in a game with Russellville.

For his efforts, Radford was named to the All Western Kentucky Conference Team that combined Classes 1A and 2A.

Radford was also a three-year starter on the Wildcat basketball teams and became only the second player to average over 20 points a game when he averaged 21.3 his senior season in 1968.  Radford was an all-district and all-region performer and finished his basketball career with 1,228 points, which was third highest in school history when he graduated.  His career scoring average of 18.05 points also ranks third best in school history.

Radford played college football at Jacksonville State College in Alabama where he was a three-year letter winner for the Gamecocks, playing primarily on defense.

Gary Siegmund served in many roles during his years at Trigg County and still serves as public address announcer for the Wildcat home football games.

“Coach Sieg” helped coach several of Trigg County’s state champion track and field team and served as an assistant basketball coach for the boys’ and girls’ teams for 14 years.

He served two different terms as Wildcat baseball coach.  He guided the Wildcats to the school’s first district baseball title in 19 years in 1979, serving as head coach from 1978-82.  He later returned as head coach in 1987 for a couple of seasons.

Coach Sieg also served as girls’ softball coach in 1989-90 and served as track and field coach.

He also was a long-time football trainer and assistant coach for the football team.  It was during this time that he tutored many student-managers in the art of taping ankles, fingers, and wrists. 

Coach Sieg also served as an athletic trainer for the Murray State football team in the 1980s.

Through his roles as teacher, trainer, and coach, Coach Sieg remains one of the most popular icons in Trigg County High School athletic history.

Buddy Sivills was one of the premier basketball players for Trigg County in the 1960s.

Sivills averaged double-figures in points in his final three years in high school, including a team best 19.3 points a game in 1965 in helping lead the Wildcats to a district title and region semifinal appearance.

He also averaged 14.5 rebounds a game his senior season and was named the Scholastic Magazine All-America squad.

His single-game effort of 37 points remained a school record until 1980.

Sivills finished his career as the school’s second all-time leading scorer with 1,262 points.  He was named to several all-district teams and the 1965 all-region team.

After high school, Sivills played basketball at Carson-Newman College in Tennessee.  After graduating from college in 1969, Sivills tried out for the Dallas Chapperals of the American Basketball Association.

He returned to Trigg County and became an assistant basketball coach under Jim Wallace on the 1969-70 squad that won the school’s first-ever region title and advanced to the Sweet 16 semifinals.

Sivills served several more seasons as an assistant coach and coached the Lady Wildcat basketball program for five seasons.

Ginger Wallace began running cross country at Trigg County as a fourth grader.

As an eighth grader, she finished fourth at the regional cross country meet and helped the team to their first team title in 1981.

Wallace finished in the top ten at the state cross country meet as a sophomore and was a member of Trigg County’s state champion track teams in 1982 and 1983.

On the basketball court, Ginger was the third leading scorer as a freshman.  She led the team in scoring her sophomore and senior season.  In 1986, her 21.5 points a game set a new school record as did her 539 points.

She still holds the school record for assists in a game (15), assists in a season (167), and single season free throw percentage (79%).

For her career, Wallace scored 1,498 points while shooting 53-percent from the field.  Her 125 games played is the second most in TCHS history.

Following her senior season, she was named to the Associated Press All-State team and the Evansville Courier All Western Kentucky team.

She is also the only Trigg County basketball player – boys or girls – to make the Kentucky All-Star basketball team.

She played college basketball for the Air Force Academy where she was a starting guard.

The Hall of Fame class will be honored at Trigg County's January 27 basketball game with Christian County.  A banquet will be held at the school on January 28 to officially induct the first Hall of Fame class.

An athlete must be out of high school for 10 years to be considered for induction, while coaches must be retired for five years.

 

After 140 games, Trigg County/Lyon County series is even steven

A good rivalry is made when schools close to each other enjoy an equal amount of success over a long period of time.  That sums up Trigg County's basketball series with Lyon County.

The series spans 140 games dating back to 1948.  Trigg County has won 70 games.  Lyon County has won 70 games.

In fact, just 49 points separate the all-time series.  Lyon County has scored 9,240 against Trigg (last night's game included).  Trigg County has scored 9,191 points against their neighbors to the north.

In the 140 game series history:

• There have been three overtime games -- Trigg is 2-1.
• There have been two double-overtime games -- Trigg won 79-74 in 1982 and Lyon won 79-75 in 2009.
• Trigg County won the only triple overtime game of the series 79-77 in 2007.
• Of the 140 games, 40 (28-percent) have been decided by five points or less.  Trigg County is 24-16 on those games. 
• Of the 140 games, six have been decided by a single point with Trigg winning five of the six.
• Trigg County is 39-25 in games played in Cadiz.  Lyon County is 40-21 in games on their home floor.
• Trigg County is 14-8 vs. Lyon County in the Fifth District Tournament, but Lyon County owns a 3-1 advantage in the All-A Classic Region Tournament.
• Trigg County has never scored 100 points on Lyon County in 140 games.  Lyon has topped 100 points twice -- in 1991 and 1992.
• Trigg County was 9-3 vs. Eddyville High but just 3-19 vs. Kuttawa High.

You won't find many basketball series in the state as close as this one.  Game #141 is on tap for Jan. 6, 2012 in Eddyville.

 

 

Trigg County 77 Lyon County 66

Trigg County used a 12-0 second quarter run and another 13-2 run in the fourth quarter to hold off Lyon County 77-66 Friday night at Wildcat Gym.  Trigg moves to 7-1 overall and 2-1 in Fifth District play.

Deonquez Nance scored 21 of his 34 points in the first half and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.

Luke McKenzie scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds, and Brien Dossett added 12 points and eight boards.  Trigg ourebounded Lyon 35-26 and shot 51-percent from the field.

Lyon County hit just 5-of-26 shots from 3-point range.

Aaron Perdue led Lyon County with 21 points and five rebounds, while Warren Sutton added 13 points and seven rebounds.  However, they both fouled out with over five minutes left in the game.

If there was one drawback to the game, it was Trigg County's 24 turnovers that led to 23 Lyon County points.

Trigg County moves into sole possession of second place in the Fifth District at 2-1.  Livingston is 3-0, Lyon 1-2, and Crittenden County 0-3.

Trigg County returns to action Wednesday in the KME Classic against Murray at 8:10pm.  It's the first meeting between the schools in 20 years.

BOX SCORE

Head coach Mike Wright talks about the win

 

Trigg County 83 Fort Campbell 75

Trigg County led from start to finish and beat Fort Campbell 83-75 Monday night at Wildcat Gym.

The Wildcats scored the first 13 points of the game and led by as many as 17 points in the first half before the Falcons chipped away, cutting their deficit to 46-39 by halftime.

The Wildcats used a 15-0 third quarter run and led by as many as 20 points in the second half before the Falcons again chipped away at the lead late.

Deonquez Nance scored 20 of his 21 points in the first half, while Brien Dossett scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds.  David Wease added 11 points and seven rebounds.

Kyle Bryant led Fort Campbell (0-4) with 21 points, and Isaiah Washington added 15 points.

Trigg shot just under 50-percent for the game from the field, but Fort Campbell grabbed 18 offensive rebound that led to 21 second chance points.

Trigg County now leads the all-time series with Fort Campbell 33-23.

The Wildcats are 6-1 and return to action Friday at home against Lyon County.

BOX SCORE

Trigg County 64 Mayfield 61

Trigg County overcame a 15-point second half deficit to beat Mayfield 64-61 Saturday in their first hardwood meeting in nearly 50 years.  The game was part of the First Kentucky Bank Shootout at Graves County.

Cole Gardner hit four 3-pointers and led four Wildcats in double figures.  David Wease had 13 points, Deonquez Nance 11 points, and Jakelzie Martin 10 points for Trigg, who improved to 5-1.

The Wildcats hit 20-of-27 from the free throw line in the game.  Trigg trailed 27-22 at halftime and 42-27 in the third quarter before ending the frame with a 15-3 run.

Lewis Love led Mayfield (0-2) with 20 points.

The game with Mayfield was the seventh overall but the first since 1962.  Trigg leads the all-time series 4-3.  The 49-year gap between games is the longest in Wildcat history.

Trigg County returns to action tonight when they host Fort Campbell at Wildcat Gym.  Airtime on WKDZ 100.9 FM is 7:15pm.

 

Livingston Central sweeps doubleheader from Trigg County

Livingston Central swept a Fifth District doubleheader from Trigg County Friday night in Smithland.  The Cardinals beat Trigg 78-71, while Livingston won the girls game 58-45.

In the boys game, Trigg County fell behind 33-19 in the first half before rallying to tie the game at 43-43 by halftime.

The game was interrupted in the third quarter by a 17-minute delay when the lights above the gym floor went out.  Trigg was leading 51-50 at the time.

Trigg County led 59-57 after three quarters, but Livingston scored the first six points of the fourth quarter and never trailed again.  The Wildcats missed their first five shots of the quarter, while Livingston hit seven of their first eight shots in the final frame.

Deonquez Nance led Trigg County with 32 points and five rebounds.  Brien Dossett had nine points and six rebounds, while David Wease and Cole Gardner each scored eight points.

Livingston Central was led by Lucas Croft with 22 points and nine rebounds.  Kenneth Cowsert added 16 points and 11 rebounds.

BOX SCORE

Interview with head coach Mike Wright

Trigg County falls to 3-1 with the loss and 1-1 in district play.  The game was the 120th in the series between the two schools, with Trigg leading 63-57.  Ironically, in 1,894 career games, it's the first time a Trigg County game has ended with the score 78-71.  The last seven regular season games at Livingston Central have been decided by single digits.

The Wildcats will play Mayfield today at 5pm in the First Kentucky Bank Shootout at Graves County High School.

In the girls game, Livingston Central used a 13-0 run to end the third quarter, and that proved to be the difference in the game as the Lady Cardinals won 58-45, snapping Trigg's winning streak at three games.

Livingston Central outrebounded Trigg 41-31 and won the battle of second chance points 16-6.

LeLe Grubbs had 12 points to lead Trigg County, while Mallory Mize added 11.

Livingston got 19 points and 16 rebounds from Haile Lampley.

BOX SCORE

Lady Wildcat head coach Amy Breckel

Trigg County falls to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in district play, while Livingston improves to 4-0 and 2-0.

The Lady Wildcats will play at Webster County Tuesday in their first trip to Dixon since 2006.

BOYS DISTRICT STANDINGS

Livingston Central 2-0 (3-1)

Lyon County 1-1 (3-2)

Trigg County 1-1 (4-1)

Crittenden County 0-2 (3-2)

GIRLS DISTRICT STANDINGS

Livingston Central 2-0 (4-0)

Trigg County 1-1 (3-1)

Lyon County 1-1 (1-4)

Crittenden County 0-2 (1-4)

Trigg County gets first-ever win over Paducah Tilghman, wins 79-76 in OT

Trigg County overcame a 12-point fourth quarter deficit to force overtime and beat Paducah Tilghman 79-76 Saturday night at Wildcat Gym.  The win was Trigg's first over Tilghman in nine career meetings dating back to 1973.  Saturday's game was their first since 1986.

Deonquez Nance hit two free throws with 4.7 seconds left to tie the game and force overtime.  Trogg outscored the Blue Tornado 12-9 in the extra period for the win.

Nance finished with 29 points, five assists, and five steals.  Dee Murphy added 16 points, and Luke McKenzie scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds. 

Cody Schultz and Michael Smith each scored 18 points to lead Tilghman (0-1).

Trigg scored 21 points off 27 Tilghman turnovers and shot 24-of-39 at the free throw line.  Tilghman was just 10-of-22 at the charity stripe.

BOX SCORE

Trigg County returns to action Tuesday at Hopkins Central, who lost to Todd County Central 63-50 Saturday.

 

Trigg County gets rare doubleheader sweep at Crittenden County

Trigg County accomplished a rarity Friday -- their first doubleheader sweep at Crittenden County in 20 years.

The Lady Wildcats beat Crittenden 46-32, getting their first-ever win in Rocket Arena in 11 career games (1-8 vs. Crittenden).  Trigg used a 16-5 run to end the game and move to 2-0 on the season.  Khadijah Grubbs had 16 points and seven rebounds, while Lee Lee Grubbs and Alyssa Maxey each had 11 points.

Crittenden County (1-2, 0-1) got 14 points from Bailey Brown.

Trigg scored 17 points off 23 Crittenden turnovers and outrebounded the Lady Rockets 38-30.

The win was Trigg County's first over a reigning region champion since 1994 when they knocked off Caldwell County.

The 2-0 start to the season is Trigg's first in seven years.  They look for their first 3-0 start since 1993-94 when they host Hopkins County Central Monday.

BOX SCORE

Postgame interview with head coach Amy Breckel

In the boys' game, Trigg County jumped out to a 20-4 lead and never looked back in winning 72-39.  The win was Trigg's 10th in their last 11 games vs. the Rockets.

Deonquez Nance had 32 points and five steals for Trigg, while David Wease came off the bench to score 10 points and grab six rebounds as nine Wildcats hit the scoring column.

Crittenden County (2-1, 0-1) got 14 points from Thomas Scott.

Trigg County attempted 35 more shots than Crittenden, thanks to 35 Rocket turnovers that led to 29 Trigg points.

The Wildcats (2-0) have held their first two opponents to under 40 points for the first time since the 1949-50 season.

BOX SCORE

Postgame interview with head coach Mike Wright

Trigg County returns to action Saturday night when Paducah Tilghman makes their first trip to Wildcat Gym since 1986.  Trigg is 0-8 all-time vs. Tilghman.

Tip-off is set for 8pm Saturday and can be heard online at www.wkdzradio.com.

 

 

Deadline for Trigg County Basketball Academy is Monday

The Deadline to register for the First Trigg County Basketball Academy will be Monday.  The Academy is for kids in grades K-6 and will begin October 29 and run for four Saturdays.  The cost is $20.

Forms can be picked up in the Trigg County Schools offices. 

Trigg County assistant boys basketball coach Russell Malone and TCHS girls head coach Amy Breckel will be overseeing the Academy. 

Malone was a guest on the Saturday Morning Sports Report Oct. 1 and discussed the TC Basketball Academy.

Russell Malone talks about the Trigg County Basketball Academy

Charges against Fort Campbell coach dropped

A stalking charge against a Fort Campbell teacher and coach has been dismissed by a Montgomery County, Tennessee General Sessions judge.

36-year-old John Ryan Cunningham of Cadiz was arrested February 28 and charged with stalking a fellow teacher at Fort Campbell High School. He was arrested a second time for allegedly violating the court order.

In an e-mail to WKDZ/WHVO News, Cunningham said the charge was dismissed, and he is considering legal action of his own against the female teacher who brought the original charge.

 “I feel vindicated by the court”, said Cunningham in the e-mail.  “But quite frankly it has shaken my faith in the justice system. It is scary that a person can go into Montgomery County Tennessee where people do not know me and swear out a totally false statement and have me arrested. I am grateful for my family, friends, and fellow faculty at Fort Campbell who supported me through this ordeal.”

His attorney, Stephanie Ritchie of Clarksville, was quoted in the e-mail as saying the district attorney refused to prosecute the case due to “a combination of the alleged victim’s own actions and the fact the alleged crime did not occur.”

Cunningham said the charges arose from a “personal disagreement.”

According to the February arrest report, the female victim stated Cunningham was an ex-boyfriend and refused to stop coming to her Clarksville house and continued to contact her at the high school where they both teach, despite being told by school staff to stop. In addition to his teaching duties,

Cunningham serves as both the boys’ soccer head coach and boys’ basketball head coach at Fort Campbell. The e-mail said Cunningham has been rehired to coach both sports next year and he has been contracted to teach at Fort Campbell for the 2011-12 school year.

Hickey, Kates named to C-J All-State team

Christian County's Anthony Hickey was named to the Louisville Courier-Journal's first team All-State basketball team in voting conducted by the state's coaches.

Teammate Donovan Kates was named to the second team.

Players named All-State honorable mention include Trigg County's Deonquez Nance; University Heights' Matt McGowan; Christian County's Veontae Lewis; Madisonville's Dylan Basham; and Crittenden County's Casey Oliver.

Calloway County standout Averee Fields was named to the Courier-Journal's girls first team All-State basketball team.

Rachel Hodge and Madison Dayberry of Union County and Crittenden County's Jessi Hodge were the only players from the Second Region named honorable mention.

Trigg County adds Christian County to 2011-12 basketball schedule

For the first time in 12 years, Christian County will appear on the Trigg County boys basketball schedule.

TCHS athletic director Jim Perrin confirmed to me Thursday that Christian County will play at Trigg County on Jan. 27, 2012.  It will be the first game between Trigg and Christian since the 1999-2000 season.

Christian County leads the all-time series with Trigg County 42-6.  The Colonels won 28 straight games in the series from 1974 to 1997.  Trigg beat Christian County in the 1997 Second Region title game and again the following year at Colonel Gym.  However, Christian County returned the favor with a 108-60 win in 1999 and a 100-41 win in 2000.  The teams haven't played since.

The last time Trigg County played a defending state champion was 1986 when the Wildcats lost to Hopkinsville 102-51.

The game with Christian County means Madisonville is now the Second Region opponent that Trigg has the longest regular season scheduling gap with.  The Wildcats and Maroons met in the region tournament in 2007 and 2009 and in the Marshall County Christmas Tournament in 2003.  But Trigg and Madisonville have not met in a regular season game since 1990.

Former Caldwell County basketball coach Harry Byrd has died

Harry Byrd, the man who coached Caldwell County to four district basketball titles, has died at age 64.  The Paducah Sun reported today that Byrd, 64, died Saturday at his Caldwell County home.

According to western Kentucky basketball historian Bob Mays, Byrd took over as Caldwell County head coach midway through the 1971-72 season when Joe Mac Hill was called to action by the U.S. Army Reserves.

Byrd coached 11 full seasons from 1974-87.  His record was 181-113 (.615).  Caldwell County won Fifth District titles in 1981, 1982, 1986, and 1987.  His final team in 1987 lost to Madisonville in the Second Region finals.  Overall, Byrd was 5-5 in 10 career region tourney appearances. 

Byrd was a Caldwell County graduate who was a starter on the 1964 region basketball champion team.  After coaching, he served as principal at Caldwell County High.

Services will be Tuesday at 2:30pm at Morgan's Funeral Home in Princeton, with visitation after 3pm Monday.

 

Kerry Stovall resigns as Christian County basketball coach

Christian County basketball coach Kerry Stovall has resigned after 10 seasons at the school.

Stovall made the announcement at a press conference at the school today. Stovall coached CCHS to their first basketball state title last month and was named Associated Press Coach of the Year this year.

However, the move came as a shock to no one. Stovall has made it known that he has missed seeing his children, Shelby and Clayton, grow up and compete in sports.

Stovall made the emotional announcement in front of a room packed with players, students, and teachers. He broke down several times when talking about his family and his team. Stovall said he informed his team Wednesday of his decision and some players were very upset.

Stovall was 201-99 in 10 seasons as Christian County coach. He will remain on as athletic director at CCHS. Stovall said he would submit his resignation Monday, giving the school 30 days to post the job, then hire a new coach before the end of the school season.

In 24 years as a head coach at Dawson Springs, West Hopkins, Muhlenberg South, and Christian County, Stovall's teams were 367-314.

Kerry Stovall press conference

 

Christian County's Anthony Hickey named Mr. Basketball

 
One of the people pictured was named Mr. Basketball Tuesday, is an oustanding athlete and person, and will likely go on to a successful career after high school.  The other person is me.

 

Christian County guard Anthony Hickey was named Kentucky Mr. Basketball Tuesday, becoming the first Colonel boys player to win the honor.

Hickey will wear the No. 1 jersey for Kentucky this summer in their annual all-star series against Indiana. Games are set for June 10 at Bellarmine University and June 11 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Hickey averaged 18 points, 4.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 4 steals during his senior season.  He was named Sweet 16 MVP in helping lead Christian County to their first ever state basketball title.  Last week, he was named Associated Press Player of the Year.

Hickey is the third player from the Second Region to be named Mr. Basketball, joining Madisonville's Jon Hood in 2009 and Earlington's Harry Todd in 1958.

 

Video of Christian County's state title win

Here is video of Veontae Lewis' game-winning shot in the state title game over Rowan County.

 

Christian County wins their first state basketball title

Christian County's Veontae Lewis hit a shot at the buzzer in the second overtime to lead Christian County to a 65-63 double-overtime win over Rowan County in the championship game of the Boys Sweet 16.

The state title is the first state title for Christian County in basketball.

The Colonels beat top-ranked Eastern 49-46 in the semifinals earlier Saturday.

Anthony Hickey was named the tournament MVP.

Inerview with head coach Kerry Stovall

Interview with Sweet 16 MVP Anthony Hickey

Interview with Marcoreyon Tandy

Interview with Donovan Kates

 
Getting ready before tipoff

Fort Campbell basketball coach arrested on stalking charge

Fort Campbell boys' basketball coach John Cunningham was arrested Monday in Clarksville, Tennessee on a stalking charge stemming from an alleged incident involving a teacher at Fort Campbell High School.  

Cunningham, 36, of Cadiz, was charged with misdemeanor stalking following his arrest Monday by the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.  He was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 bond and released Tuesday, according to the department's web site.

According to a Clarksville Police Department report filed on Feb. 25, the female victim stated Cunningham was an ex-boyfriend and refused to stop coming to her Clarksville house in recent weeks.  The report also stated Cunningham continued to contact her at the high school where they both teach, despite being told by school staff to stop.

The victim told police she did not feel like the contact would stop and was in fear of her safety and the safety of her son.  The warrant for stalking was secured, according to the report, and Cunningham was arrested at 4:31 pm Monday.

According to Tennessee law, stalking is described as a willful course of conduct involving repeated or continuing harassment of another individual that would cause a reasonable person to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested, and that actually causes the victim to feel terrorized, frightened, intimidated, threatened, harassed, or molested.

Cunningham's status as a teacher and coach at Fort Campbell was not known Tuesday afternoon.  No one answered the school phone after normal school hours.

Cunningham is in his first year at Fort Campbell, guiding both the boys' soccer team and boys' basketball team.  He was a former assistant basketball coach at Trigg County.

 

It's time for Trigg County to schedule up

With the wraps put on another basketball season, I'd like to see Trigg County beef up their basketball schedule in 2011-12.

I'm not saying schedule home and homes with Christian County, Warren Central, and Paducah Tilghman.  But they also don't need to have the weakest non-district schedule in the Second Region like they did this year.

Trigg's Courier-Journal Litkenhous Rating this week of 52.2 ranked them 10th out of the 15 teams in the Second Region.  I used the Lit Ratings to determine the non-district strength of schedule (SOS) of each team in the region.  A couple of factors went into it:

First, district teams aren't included because you aren't given a choice of what district you are in and you have to play teams in your district.  You are given a choice when making your non-district schedule.

Second, All-A Tournament games aren't counted because not everyone is eligible.

Third, holiday tournaments are counted because you get to choose where you go and you have an idea of what teams are in those tournaments.

Last, the SOS takes the Lit rating of every non-district game you played, adds them, and divides it by the number of games to get an average rating.  If you played a team twice, you add their rating twice.

With that said, here is the SOS of the Second Region teams:

1. Christian County (86.0)

T2. Henderson County (69.9)

T2. Madisonville (69.9)

4. UHA (65.2)

5. Hopkins Central (61.9)

6. Hopkinsville (61.8)

7. Union County (60.2)

8. Fort Campbell (59.7)

9. Webster County (58.5)

10. Dawson Springs (52.0)

T11. Caldwell County (51.9)

T11. Lyon County (51.9)

13. Livingston Central (48.4)

14. Crittenden County (44.3)

15. TRIGG COUNTY (39.1)

 

Trigg won 17 games this year, but it came against a schedule that is the equivalent of playing the 13th best team in the Second Region every game.  14 of the 17 wins came against non-district opponents and two were against out-of-state teams that don't factor into the Lit Ratings.

Next year, the KHSAA changes the way games are counted on the schedule.  Currently, teams are allowed to have 23 games, and with separate formulas for counting single and double elimination tournaments such as holiday tournaments and the All-A Classic.

Under the new system, all games count as one game up to 30.  If you play four games in a holiday tournament, it counts as four games.  If you play three games in the All-A Region tournament, it counts as three games.  You get the point.  30 regular season games.

Trigg played 24 regular season games this year (losing one to bad weather) and 25 last year.  Under the new system, there's no excuse not to have a tougher schedule to get better prepared for the postseason.

Six district games.  Three games in the All-A if you fail to win the region.  Four if you do.  Four games in the KME Classic.  Four more games in another post Christmas tournament.  That leaves 13 to 14 non-district games for Trigg County to schedule. 

Home and homes with Caldwell County, Dawson Springs, and Fort Campbell are acceptable because of their proximity and series history.

That leaves seven games. 

Hopkinsville, Hopkins Central, Todd County should also remain on the schedule.

That leaves four games.

I'd like to see Madisonville back on the schedule.  They aren't the region power they used to be, and Trigg would be competitive with them.

I'd like to see Stewart County, Tennessee remain on the schedule because of geography.

That leaves two games.

Why not a First Region team like Calloway County, Murray, Mayfield, or Carlisle County instead of one that has a Christian in their title.

Of the non-district teams on Trigg County's 2010-11 schedule, only one (Hopkins Central) won their opening round district game, and that's because they drew six-win Caldwell County.  Of their 15 non-district games, 14 of the 15 were against teams with a lower Lit Rating than Trigg.  The only exception was the regular season finale against Hopkinsville.

Trigg County averaged 65 points a game this year.  They lose 17.4 ppg. to graduation.  Juniors account for just 4.8 ppg.  The rest comes from this year's sophomores and freshmen.

It's time to upgrade the schedule.  This upcoming group of players has nothing to gain from playing the Christian Fellowships and Community Christians twice or Dawson Springs three times in a season.  I expect coach Mike Wright to recognize this as he has in the past.  Better opponents make your team better and it brings more people to the gym to watch your team. 

Trigg County's basketball team is headed in the right direction despite the early exit from the district tournament this season.  But the future schedule must head in that same direction or the early exits will become frustratingly commonplace.

 

A streak comes to an end...

I have found myself in a rare position during district tournament week -- listening to the games on the radio.

A bout of the flu combined with strep throat has pretty much wiped me out at a bad time for a sports broadcaster -- district tournament week.  By my count, it's only the second Fifth District Tournament I've missed since 1985 and the first since 1992 when I worked in Hopkinsville.

The basketball teams that are successful this time of year are the ones who buy into the team concept.  The same holds true in the radio business.

My thanks to Bill Booth and Ronnie Sadler who have stepped in this week and called the district tournament after being given about five hours notice that I was going to be on the shelf.

I hate to add work to anyone's already busy plate.  So my thanks goes to Bill this week for his work at the district tournament.

 

Livingston Central 61 Trigg County 44

Trigg County's basketball season came to an end with a 61-44 loss at Livingston Central in the first round of the Fifth District Tournament Tuesday night.  It's Trigg's second straight first round exit -- the first time in nine seasons they have failed to make the region tournament in consecutive seasons.

Livingston Central jumped out to a 15-5 lead after one quarter and led 29-17 at halftime.  Trigg cut the deficit to six after three quarters but couldn't get over the hump in the fourth quarter as Lucas Croft hit 10-of-10 free throws in the fourth quarter to seal Livingston's third win over Trigg in four meetings this year.

Trigg County, a 48-percent shooting team on the season, wasn't helped by 40-percent shooting, including 1-of-13 from 3-point range, and 3-of-14 shooting from the free throw line.  Trigg was also outrebounded 43-23 in the contest.

Deonquez Nance led Trigg County with 16 points, while Brien Dossett came off the bench to score 10.

Livingston was led by Wildcat killer Kenneth Cowsert who had 23 points.  Croft added 14 for Livingston, who improved to 19-8 with their seventh straight win.

Trigg's season ends at 17-8.  The last time a Wildcat team won that many games and failed to advance to the district title game was the 1989 team that was upset by Crittenden County in the first round.

Livingston Central will play Lyon County for the district title Friday night.  The Lyons beat Crittenden County 60-47.  Livingston is looking for their first district title since 1994.

 

Eighth District Tournament pairings set

The pairings and dates are set for the Eighth District Basketball Tournament that gets underway Feb. 21 at Christian County High School.

Also from the district meeting held Saturday, the Kentucky New Era reports that the boys tournament will go to a blind draw format in 2012 following a vote from the athletic directors of the four schools.  The girls will continue to seed.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21

GIRLS

6pm - #1 Hopkinsville vs. #4 Fort Campbell

7:30pm - #2 Christian County vs. #3 University Heights

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22

BOYS

6pm - #1 Christian County vs. #4 Fort Campbell

7:30pm - #2 Hopkinsville vs. #3 University Heights

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24

GIRLS

6pm - Championship

BOYS

8pm - Championship

Fifth District Tournament pairings set

Lyon County won a coin toss with Livingston Central and will be the top seed in the boys' Fifth District Tournament that starts Feb. 22 at Livingston Central.

Trigg County will play Livingston Central in the second game Tuesday.  Livingston won two of the three games played between the schools this year, although Trigg did win at Smithland in January.

Trigg's girls will play Crittenden County in the opening game Monday night.  Crittenden swept both games from Trigg this year.

Lyon County is the defending champs for both boys and girls.

Here are the dates and times for the tourney:

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21

GIRLS

6pm - #1 Crittenden County (15-6, 6-0) vs. #4 Trigg County (6-16, 0-6)

7:30pm - #2 Lyon County (13-8, 3-3) vs. #3 Livingston Central (11-9, 3-3)

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22

BOYS

6pm - #1 Lyon County (17-8, 4-2) vs. #4 Crittenden County (5-15, 1-5)

7:30pm - #2 Livingston Central (16-8, 4-2) vs. #3 Trigg County (15-6, 3-3)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24

GIRLS

7pm - Championship

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25

BOYS

7pm - Championship

 

Trigg County 80 Caldwell County 51

Trigg County used first quarter runs of 9-0 and 12-0 to take control of their game with Caldwell County and beat the Tigers 80-51 Friday night at Wildcat Gym.

The win was Trigg's fourth straight at home over the Caldwell County, the first time that's ever happened.  Trigg has won six of seven against Caldwell for the first time since 1977.

Deonquez Nance just missed a triple-double with 20 points, nine assists, and eight steals.  Seven other players had at least seven points to lead the balanced scoring effort.  Cole Gardner and Jakelzie Martin each had 11 points for Trigg County, who shot 52-percent from the field.

Eighth grader Elisha Sindelar had 12 points and five rebounds for Caldwell County (6-17).  Perry Allen added 10 points.

Trigg later added a 17-0 second quarter and led 52-32 at halftime.

Despite Trigg County's recent success against the Tigers, Caldwell County still leads the all-time series 64-55.

The Wildcats improve to 15-6 on the season, just the second time in five years that Trigg has reached the 15-win mark.  Trigg will host Dawson Springs Monday night.

GAME BOXSCORE

Coach Mike Wright on the Heritage Bank Postgame Show

 

Trigg County vs. Caldwell County tonight

Trigg County is still slated to play Caldwell County tonight at Wildcat Gym in a boys/girls doubleheader.

The Lady Wildcats (5-16) haven't played since last Saturday's loss to St. Mary.  Caldwell County (3-18) also lost Saturday and have lost eight straight coming into tonight's game.

One of Caldwell's three wins came against Trigg County 77-48 at the KME Classic on Dec. 22.

The girls tip at 6pm.

In the nightcap, Trigg County (14-6) hosts Caldwell County (6-16), looking to win their fourth straight home game over the Tigers for the first time in series history.

Neither team has played in a week, with Trigg beating Fort Campbell last Thursday and Caldwell County losing to Madisonville a week ago.

The boys tip at 7:30pm.

Airtime tonight on WKDZ 100.9 FM and www.wkdzradio.com is 5:45pm.

In between games, the first Trigg County High School Hall of Fame class will be recognized and homecoming will be held.  So bring a sack lunch.

 

The Best: Second Region Basketball players

I was recently asked to help put together a list of the top boys and girls basketball players of all time in the Second Region.  The list would be a nomination list for the region for the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.  Each of the other regions will compile a list of their best players.

After voting by the seven person committee (myself included), the final list consisted of: 1. Travis Ford, Madisonville-North Hopkins; 2. Harry Todd, Earlington; 3. William “Bird” Averitt, Hopkinsville; 4. Dwight Smith, Princeton Dotson; 5. Fred Cowan, Union County; 6. Greg Buckner, University Heights; 7. Curtis Parker, Christian County; 8. Greg Smith, Caldwell County/Princeton Dotson; 9. Ty Rogers, Lyon County; 10. Glen Green, Henderson County.

My list had nine of the ten.  The only difference was at #10 where I had Livingston Central's Don Ringstaff.

Only Travis Ford was listed on all seven ballots, something I found hard to believe.  I ranked three players ahead of him -- Harry Todd, "Bird" Averitt, and Ty Rogers.

In the legends voting (pre-1950), Frank Ramsey of Madisonville was unanimous, with a tie for second between Carson Jones of Nebo and Carlisle Towery of Shady Grove.  I voted for Ramsey and Kuttawa's Joe Fulks.

It's hard to argue against any of those selected.

For the ladies, there was a little more difference from the nomination list to my list.

The top girls' players in the region as nominated were: 1. Rachel Byars, Union County; 2. Arnika Brown, Christian County; 3. Tonya Wells, Madisonville-North Hopkins; 4. Terica Hathaway, Providence; 5. Brandi Ashby, Webster County; 6. Stephanie Minor, West Hopkins; 7. Kelly Pendleton, Webster County; 8. Abbey Benton, Caldwell County; 9. Lisa Hayden, Henderson County; 10 tie. Nicole Hay, Henderson County; 10. tie Sharon Ottens, Webster County.

My list had only six of the above, not counting the tie at #10.

We agreed on Byars, Brown, Wells, Hathaway, Ashby, and Hayden.  Those I voted for who didn't make the final cut were Livingston Central's Stacey Calhoun, Trigg County's Karen Johnson, Providence's Diane Oakley, and Crittenden County's Shannon Croft (now Hodge).

Oakley scored 45 points against Trigg County in a game in the late 1970s.  That record was broken by another Providence player, Hathaway, who scored 55 points against Trigg in a 1997 game. 

The lists will be submitted to the KABC who, in turn, will have a committee to decide which people statewide will be inducted into their hall of fame.

 

Trigg County reschedules Hopkins Central game for tonight

Trigg County has rescheduled their boys basketball game with Hopkins County Central for tonight at 7:30pm at Wildcat Gym.  The game will follow the regular scheduled game with Trigg's girls and Reidland at 6pm.

The Wildcats (12-5) haven't played since last Tuesday's loss to Livingston Central in the first round of the All-A Classic Region Tournament. They will play a Hopkins County Central squad that is 5-14 and have lost 10 of their last 11 games.  The teams were scheduled to play Friday at Wildcat Gym, but the game was postponed because of the weather.

Tipoff is set for 7:30pm.

In the opener, the Lady Wildcats (4-14) play their first game in a week when they host Reidland (3-13), a team they beat 63-37 in the McLean County After Christmas Tournament last month.

Tipoff is set for 6pm

Airtime for both games on WKDZ 100.9 FM and online at www.wkdzradio.com is 5:45pm.

 

All-A Classic Region Finals are set for Monday Night

The finals are set for the All-A Classic Second Region Tournament, and they feature four familiar faces.

In the girls title game at 6pm, host Crittenden County (12-3) takes on Lyon County (9-4).  Crittenden County has won four All-A region titles (their last in 2008), while Lyon County won back-to-back titles in 2006-07. 

Crittenden County owns a pair of 11-point wins over Lyon County this year.

In the boys' championship game at 8pm, old friends University Heights Academy (11-5) and Lyon County (12-5) get together in a matchup between teams that have combined to win the last 10 All-A region titles.  UHA has won 16 of the 21 career All-A region titles and six of the last seven.  Lyon County has won three region titles, their last one in 2009.

The girls' region champ will play 11th Region Champion Lexington Christian Wednesday at 1pm.

The boys' region champ will play the 14th Region Champion Thursday morning at 11:30am in Richmond. 

Just how close is Trigg's rivalry with Lyon County? Very close

When Trigg County beat Lyon County 68-67 last Friday, it epitomized exactly how close the series is between the border rivals that dates back over 60 years.

Just a few facts about the series:

• The series dates back to 1948.  Lyon County leads the all-time series 70-69.
• Lyon County has scored 9,174 points in the series.  Trigg has scored 9,114.
• Counting Trigg County's Friday win, six games in the series have been decided by a single point.  Trigg has won five of those.  Lyon has won one.
• A total of 11 games have been decided by two points (Trigg is 7-4), and five games in the series have been decided by three points (Trigg is 3-2).
• That means 22 of the 139 games have been decided by three points or less. 
• All total, 53 games in the series (38%) have been decided by single digits, with Trigg's record 27-26 in games decided by less than 10 points.

It doesn't get much closer than that. 

Trigg County 63 Caldwell County 40

Trigg County used a 20-1 run to put Caldwell County away and win 63-40 Tuesday night at the CAB in Princeton.  The win was Trigg's third straight in the building -- the first time they have won three-in-a-row in the CAB since it opened in 1988.

Trigg held Caldwell County to single-digits in the first three quarters as they built their lead to as many as 25 points.  The Wildcats hit 54-percent of their shots (25/46), while Caldwell hit just 32-percent.

Deonquez Nance hit 10-of-13 shots and finished with 25 points, while Jaylen Mount added 11 points and eight rebounds.

Tez Sivills led Caldwell County (4-10 ) with 13 points and seven rebounds.

The 40 points was the fewest a Caldwell County team scored against Trigg County since a 52-39 Trigg win in 1959.

Mike Wright talks about the win

Trigg County improves to 11-4 on the season and will travel to LIvingston Central Friday.

Game boxscore

 

Dawson Springs 60 Trigg County 55

Trigg County blew an 11-point second half lead and had a series of turnovers in the game's final minutes which led to their 60-55 loss at Dawson Springs Monday night.  The loss snapped a seven-game Wildcat winning streak and was Dawson Springs' first win over Trigg in 18 games dating back to 2000.

Trigg led 41-30 in the fourth quarter before Dawson Springs began their comeback.  The Wildcats had turnovers on three straight trips that turned a 52-48 lead into a 55-54 deficit for the Wildcats.

Dawson missed four free throws in the final 90 seconds but got offensive rebounds on two of those misses and were able to hold off the Wildcats down the stretch.

Deonquez Nance led Trigg County with 17 points, and Cole Gardner hit three 3-pointers and finished with 13 points.  Jaylen Mount added 11 points, and Luke McKenzie scored nine.

Joseph McDonald led Dawson Springs (3-10) with 21 points.  Trigg was outrebounded 36-25 in the contest.

The Wildcats (10-4) return to action tonight at Caldwell County.  Airtime on Boomer Radio 100.9 FM is 7:05pm.

 

Trigg County 71 Christian Fellowship 41

Trigg County won their sixth straight game with a 71-41 win over Christian Fellowship Thursday at Wildcat Gym. 

The Wildcats hit seven 3-pointers in the contest as they outscored CFS 32-12 in the second quarter.

Cole Gardner led Trigg County with 14 points, one of three players in double figures.  Jayen Mount added 12 points and David Wease scored 10.

Sophomore Eric Teodozow led CFS (0-10) with 17 points.

Trigg County has never lost to Christian Fellowship in 12 career games.

The Wildcats (9-3) return to action tonight at Wildcat Gym against Lyon County.

 

Trigg County hosts Christian Fellowship tonight

Trigg County looks for their sixth straight win tonight as they host Christian Fellowship at Wildcat Gym.

The Wildcats are off to an 8-3 start and have won five straight games for the first time in two years.

The varsity tips at 7:30pm.

 

Trigg County 64 Crittenden County 50

Trigg County used a strong start and held off Crittenden County 64-50 Tuesday night in Marion.  The win was Trigg's fifth straight and first in district play.

Jaylen Mount led the Wildcats with 20 points, and Deonquez Nance added 14.  Chris McKenzie came off the bench to score 11 points but suffered a severe ankle injury late in the game and did not return.

Crittenden County (2-9, 1-3) got 18 points from Casey Oliver but just four in the second half after Trigg switched to a junk defense.  Brian Berry added 11 points.

Trigg led 18-7 after one quarter and 32-21 at halftime.

Trigg County's five-game winning streak is their longest since their won their first five games of the 2008-09 season.

The Wildcats are 8-3 overall and 1-3 in district play, keeping alive a shot at a #1 seed in the district after Lyon County knocked off Livingston Central 59-54.

Trigg County will host Christian Fellowship Thursday and Lyon County Friday.

DISTRICT STANDINGS

Livingston Central  3-1 (9-5)

Lyon County  3-1 (8-4)

Trigg County 1-3 (8-3)

Crittenden County 1-3 (2-9)

 

Monday's High School Basketball Scoreboard

Here are some scores from Monday's Holiday Tournaments

BOYS

• Christian County lost to Holy Trinity of Melbourne, Fla. 56-53.  Anthony Hickey had 27 points and six steals for the Colonels, and Donovan Kates added 16 points.  Christian County (4-5) will play defending Florida 4A state champion Fort Myers today.  Fort Myers was a 68-62 loser to Wekiva, Fla.
• University Heights lost to Covington Catholic 65-53 in the second round of the Republic Bank Classic in Lexington.  Kquan McNease led the Blazers (7-3) with 18 points.  UHA will play Sheldon Clark today in the consolation bracket.
• In the First Southern Bank/Roy's BBQ Classic in Russellville, Logan County beat Caverna 59-52 and Owensboro beat Hopkins County Central 92-54.
• In the Murray Bank Laker Classic, Madisonville beat Apollo 39-36 and Kenwood beat Calloway County 62-52.
• In the Reidland Christmas Classic, Reidland beat Christian Fellowship 58-26; Fulton County downed Crittenden County 64-44; and Livingston Central beat Community Christian 57-56.  In games today at the tournament, Crittenden County will play both Reidland and Christian Fellowship; Caldwell County will play Livingston Central and Community Christian; Murray will play Livingston Central; and Reidland will play Fulton County.

GIRLS

•     In the National Guard Holiday Classic in Owensboro, Heath beat University Heights Academy 52-42.  UHA (2-4) plays Owensboro today.  Also in the tournament, Apollo beat Hopkins Central 73-29; Henderson County beat Owensboro 74-43; and Union County beat PRP 45-25;
• Corbin beat Madisonville 54-32 in the South Central Bank Halton Classic in Scottsville.
• In games today, the Murray Bank Lady Tiger Classic begins in Murray with eight teams and eight games.
• Dawson Springs plays Lewis County in the Pulaski County Bankers Classic.

 

Trigg County wins KME Classic

Trigg County beat Butler County 66-60 in overtime Wednesday to claim their first-ever KME Classic title at Wildcat Gym.

Deonquez Nance hit a couple of late free throws to send the game to overtime and the Wildcats took control in the extra frame.  Luke McKenzie had 16 points for the Wildcats.  Butler County (6-5) finished 3-1 in the tourney.

In the final game of the tournament, Deonquez Nance had 33 points and eight steals to power the Wildcats past Dawson Springs 61-51.  The Wildcats led by as many as 15 points, and Dawson could never get closer than six in the second half.

The Wildcats (7-3) finish 4-0 in the tournament and claim their first holiday tournament title since winning the Crittenden County Christmas Tourmament in 1989.  The last time Trigg County won a pre-Christmas Tournament was the 1970 Caldwell County Invitational.

CLICK HERE for the Trigg/Dawson box score

In other games Wednesday, Stewart County (6-5) edged Reidland 47-43 to take third place. 

Dawson Springs (1-9) beat Reidland 62-48 to claim their first win of the season and send the Greyhounds (3-7) to a winless tournament.

 

KME Classic - Day One Recap

LaRue County jumped out to an 18-7 lead after one quarter and coasted to a 63-40 win over Trigg County in the first round of the KME Classic at Wildcat Gym.

Alexis Brewer and freshman Ivy Brown each had 16 points for LaRue County, who improved to 7-2 with the win.  Twins Lyndsey and Valerie Whitlock combined for 24 points.

Trigg County (2-4) got 11 points from Ashley Matlock and 10 points from Alyssa Maxey.  Le'Onzerrae Grubbs tossed in seven for the Lady Wildcats.

In other girls' games, Allen County-Scottsville (6-1) held off Caldwell County 75-67 in the opening game of the day.  Caldwell County (1-7) later fell to Lone Oak in overtime 60-59.  Lone Oak improved to 6-2.

In boys games, Josh Rose scored 26 points to lead Stewart County (5-3) to a 68-50 win over Dawson Springs (0-7).  Butler County (4-4) beat Reidland (3-4) 60-58 in the other game.

Here is the schedule of today's games at Wildcat Gym:

9:00 (G) - LaRue County vs. Allen County-Scottsville

10:50 (B) - Butler County vs. Dawson Springs

12:40 (G) - Trigg County vs. Allen County-Scottsville 

2:30 (B) - Stewart County vs. Butler County

4:20 (G) - LaRue County vs. Caldwell County

6:10 (G) - Lone Oak vs. Trigg County

8:00 (B) - Reidland vs. Trigg County

Three games will be on WKDZ 100.9 FM and online at www.wkdzradio.com

 

KME Classic begins today

The Third Annual Kentucky Machine and Engineering Classic begins today at Wildcat Gym with six games on tap.  There will be seven more games tomorrow and seven on Wednesday.

Both the boys and girls will play a four-game round-robin format, with the tournament champion to be determined by the team with the best record.

The four girls' teams will be making their first appearance at the KME Classic, while Butler County and Dawson Springs return for a second time.  Reidland and Stewart County, Tennessee are making their first appearance.

The field appears to be wide open with no teams owning a winning record.

Mike Wright talks about the KME Classic field

The girls' field is perhaps the toughest to take part in the KME Classic, with three of the five teams bringing a .500 or better record into the tournament.

Amy Breckel talks about the KME Classic field

All of the games involving Trigg County can be heard on WKDZ 100.9 FM and online at www.wkdzradio.com.

Here is the lineup of games for this week at Wildcat Gym.

TODAY

10:50 (G) - Caldwell County (1-5) vs. Allen County-Scottsville (5-1)

12:40 (B) - Stewart County, Tenn. (2-2) vs. Dawson Springs (0-6)

2:30 (G) - LaRue County (6-2) vs. Trigg County (2-3)

4:20 (B) - Reidland (3-3) vs. Butler County (3-4)

6:10 (G) - Lone Oak (5-2) vs. Caldwell County (1-5)

8:00 (B) - Trigg County (3-3) vs. Stewart County, Tenn. (2-2)

 

TUESDAY

 

9:00 (G) - LaRue County vs. Allen County-Scottsville

10:50 (B) - Butler County vs. Dawson Springs

12:40 (G) - Trigg County vs. Allen County-Scottsville

2:30 (B) - Stewart County vs. Butler County

4:20 (G) - LaRue County vs. Caldwell County

6:10 (G) - Lone Oak vs. Trigg County

8:00 (B) - Reidland vs. Trigg County

 

WEDNESDAY

 

9:00 (B) - Dawson Springs vs. Reidland

10:50 (G) - Lone Oak vs. LaRue County

12:40 (B) - Trigg County vs. Butler County

2:30 (G) - Lone Oak vs. Allen County-Scottsville

4:20 (B) - Reidland vs. Stewart County

6:10 (G) - Caldwell County vs. Trigg County

8:00 (B) - Dawson Springs vs. Trigg County

 

Trigg County vs. Lyon County tonight on WKDZ 100.9 FM

Trigg County returns to the hardwood tonight at Lyon County in the Fifth District Doubleheader.

In the girls' game at 6pm, both teams enter the contest with identical 2-2 overall records and 0-2 marks in the Fifth District.

In the boys' game at 7:30pm, the Wildcats (3-2, 0-2) try for the first district win against the Lyons (3-2, 1-1).  A Trigg loss likely knocks them out of the chase for the top seed in an even Fifth District race.

Airtime tonight on WKDZ 100.9 FM and online at www.wkdzradio.com is 5:45pm with the pregame show.

 

Trigg County 58 Community Christian 46

Trigg County used a 19-10 second quarter run to beat Community Christian 58-46 Tuesday night in Paducah.  It was Trigg's first-ever game at Community Christian of the First Region.

Jaylen Mount had 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead Trigg County (3-2), while Cole Garnder knocked down three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points.  Freshman Luke McKenzie had six points and eight rebounds, and David Wease added eight points.

Brandon Wrye led Community Christian (0-6) with 14 points.  The Warriors were done in by 4-of-17 shooting from the free throw line.

Trigg County returns to action Friday at Lyon County as part of a district doubleheader.

 

Trigg County falls to Madisonville in scrimmage

Madisonville beat Trigg County in a boys basketball scrimmage Tuesday night at Wildcat Gym.  The Maroons won all four quarters, with the third quarter the closest at 23-21.  Had a running score been kept, Madisonville would have won by a score of 71-39.

Jaylen Mount scored 10 points for Trigg County, and Deonquez Nance added seven.

Tray Carr led Madisonville with 13 points, and Josiah Powell added 11.

Trigg scrimmaged at Whitesville Trinity last Friday and won that exhibition.  Had a score been kept, it would have been 67-26 in favor of Trigg.

The Wildcats open their season Tuesday night at home against Fort Campbell.

Trigg's girls have their final scrimmage tonight at home against Mayfield at 6pm.

 

Trigg County Middle School basketball results

The Trigg County Midcats improved to 3-2 with a 32-29 win at Todd County Middle School Tuesday night.  The Midcats return home Thursday for a 7th/8th grade doubleheader with North Drive Middle.

November 16

 

Trigg        4    12    14    2        32         

Todd        11    5     9     4        29

 

Scoring:

Ean Sholar - 11

Tyler Estes - 7

Brandon Wilson - 6

Jaquan Kirby - 4

Devanie Cunningham - 2

Debo Mayes - 2

Trigg vs. South Hopkins (November 11)

 

7th grade:

Trigg                18    16    16    4        54

South Hopkins    6      8      9    11       34

 

Scoring for Trigg:

Reggie Radford - 21

Demaria Nance - 11

Tyler Estes - 7

Jamar Humphries - 6

Tyreke Wilson - 4

Hayden Daniel and Will Alexander - 2

Matthew Skinner - 1

 

The 7th grade remains undefeated at 4-0.

 

 

8th grade:

Trigg                9    15    13    17        54

South Hopkins   11    6    7      9          33

 

Scoring for Trigg:

Tyler Estes - 10

Reggie Radford - 9

Ean Sholar - 6

Devanie Cunningham - 6

Tyreke Wilson - 5

Brandon Wilson - 4

Austin Calhoun - 3

Dallas McCloud - 2

Demaria Nance - 2

Christian County opens play in Sweet 16 Wednesday

Christian County opens play in the Boys Sweet 16 Tournament Wednesday night at 6:30 pm (ET) against Ninth Region champ Newport (29-5).

Newport is making their first trip to the Sweet 16 since 1962 and knocked off defending state champion Holmes 60-34 to advance to the state tournament.

CLICK HERE FOR CHRISTIAN COUNTY STATS

CLICK HERE FOR NEWPORT STATS

CLICK HERE FOR THE SWEET 16 BRACKET

Interview with Christian County head coach Kerry Stovall

 

Resume of former Trigg assistant coach called into question

Steve Thompson was known for his tall physique and his tall tales as an assistant boys' basketball coach at Trigg County during the 1999-2000 season.

A decade later, he is out of a job and his career resume has been picked apart by the St. Petersburg Times newspaper.

Thompson was fired last month after just one season at Springstead High School in Florida.  His team finished 6-18. 

However, it was Thompson's second job during the season. Gulf High School had planned to hire him but rescinded the offer when Thompson failed to give the school transcripts and references, the newspaper said.

Izzy Gould was one of the St. Pete Times reporters who wrote a story on Thompson that appeared in Saturday's edition.

"He approached one of our correspondents and was adamant about his coaching record and that he had 401 career wins.  He only had 377 on his resume.  I think he suspected people were looking into it," Gould said.

And that's where Gould went to work.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE STORY IN THE ST. PETERSBURG TIMES

Among the discrepancies found by the newspaper:

• Thompson stated he coached at Seneca (Ky.) High School from 1997 to 1999. Athletic director Scott Greenwald, who took over the program in 2001, said the coaches during that time were Chuck Nallavenko (1993-99) and Tony Branch (1999-2005). Greenwald also said Thompson was not an assistant on those teams. "He did not coach at this school," Greenwald told the St. Pete Times.

• Two schools Thompson said he led to the playoffs for a total of 80 wins in six seasons — Country Day Prep and Chattanooga Workman — did not exist in the years he claimed to be coaching there.

• Thompson claimed to be at Country Day Prep from 1986-1993. Instead, he was teaching at Carroll-Oakland Elementary in his hometown of Lebanon, Tenn., from 1988-1990.

• Thompson's resume lists accolades including leading Tyner (Tenn.) High to the "Sweet 16" while earning Associated Press Coach of the Year honors in 1995. TSSAA assistant executive director Matthew Gillespie said Tyner did not make the playoffs in boys or girls basketball that year. Tennessee AP sports editor Teresa Walker said the AP has not awarded a Coach of the Year since she arrived in 1989.

• Thompson lists his overall record at Tyner as 58-27 for three years. According to a newspaper report, Thompson coached for two years and his record was 32-22.

• Thompson said he led Philadelphia (Miss.) High to the playoffs three consecutive seasons, including the "Sweet 16" in 2007. The school's athletic director, Tristan Howell, said Thompson won just nine games in three season and did not make the playoffs.

• Thompson lists coaching Smith County (Tenn.) for two years to a 30-20 record. Smith County athletic director Larry Silcox, who has been with the school for 30 years, said Thompson coached only the 1986-87 season and led that team to an 8-15 record.

• Thompson claimed 401 career wins as a varsity boys basketball coach when he arrived on the North Suncoast. His resume said 377. Through interviews and documents, the Times could verify 97 wins. 

"He came clean and said he counted his freshman and JV wins," Gould told me.

Among the wins likely counted by Thompson were those in 1999-2000 when he was the boys JV coach at Trigg County.  Thompson stayed at Trigg County only one season.  He later moved on to McLean County where he coached the girls' varsity teams there for a couple of seasons.

In a Cadiz Record article written in 1999, Thompson claimed to have coached Anfernee Hardaway on a traveling team.  The St. Pete Times story refutes that claim.  But other than a 62-3 record in two seasons at a Lebanon, Tennessee school, the story doesn't go into great detail about Thompson's past stops.

Gould said he requested a copy of Thompson's records from the Trigg County Board of Education and received them Saturday, the day his story went to press.

"His Florida resumes don't mention Trigg County," Gould said.  "We didn't learn about them until we got his records from McLean County."

Despite the inaccuracies about Thompson's coaching record, Gould said his teaching credentials were intact.

"His teaching credentials were fine.  He has his Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree and a teaching certificate in several states," Gould said.  Thompson taught Driver's Education at TCHS.

"We may not have located the whole truth, but he isn't giving us the whole truth either," Gould said.  "He is the master at knowing how far schools will research the past."