Scott Brown's SportsBytes on WKDZ

Trigg County vs. Dawson Springs

Trigg County opens their new basketball season tonight at Wildcat Gym against Dawson Springs.  The JV play at 6pm, while the varsity tips off at 7:30pm.

Trigg leads the all-time series with Dawson Springs 47-25 and have won ten straight games against the Panthers dating back to 2000.  Trigg is 24-9 against Dawson on their home floor.

The Wildcats have also won six straight season-openers dating back to the 1999-2000 season.

These teams didn't play last year.

The Panthers were 11-17 last year and will need to find a way to score now that Derek Scott and his 22.9 points a game has graduated.

6-4 sophomore Ethan Scott and 6-0 senior Jesse Robinson both averaged eight points a game last year, while 5-11 senior Justin Bennett averaged six points and 2.5 steals a contest.

Head coach Wayne Simpson is also high on 6-3 sophomore Aaron Duke, who gives the Panthers a decent front line that can dominate smaller teams.

Dawson Springs opened their season Tuesday with a 57-47 loss to Crittenden County.

Airtime tonight for the Wildcats and Panthers from Wildcat Gym is 7:03pm.

Wildcat basketball preview

It's a year of change for the Trigg County Wildcats, who return just one starter from last year's 21-8 team that won consecutive district titles for the first time in 30 years.

Jeff Embrey, an assistant coach for five years, takes over as Wildcat head coach after serving under Bill Chumbler for the last four seasons.

The Wildcats will be a small but quick team that doesn't feature anyone taller than 6-3 on the roster.  Embrey says the guard play should allow the Wildcats to play both an up-tempo or deliberate style of offense, depending on the opponent and matchups.

The lone returning starter for the Wildcats is senior guard Rodney Davis, who has switched jersey numbers from #15 to #00.  Davis averaged 14.4 points and 3.7 assists last year, while hitting 58 3-pointers.

Senior guard Zack Wright saw action in every game last year, scoring 2.4 points a game and proving to be one of the best defensive players on the team.

6-2 sophomore Jonathon King (1.9 ppg.) and 6-3 senior Ryan Eubanks (1.3 ppg.) can play inside and outside and gives Embrey some varying offensive options.

Senior Dhayna Cavanaugh, sophomore Dustin White, and freshmen Zeke Wright and Jalik Alexander give the Wildcats more options at guard.

The Wildcats should have enough to repeat as district champions and win a third straight title for the first time in school history.

Three keys to the Wildcats' season....

REBOUNDING - With no one taller than 6-3 and playing in a region with several prominent big men, the Wildcats will have to work hard on the glass.  Trigg averaged 37 rebounds a game with a taller team last year and limited opponents to just 10 second chance points a game.  They will need similar numbers this year.

SHOT SELECTION - Just because you have a roster full of guards doesn't mean you need to chuck up 40 3-pointers a game. 

CONSISTENCY - Young teams have a tendency to play to the level of their competition.  In a district where Trigg is the most likely to break .500, they can't afford to overlook anyone.

Marshall County HoopFest begins tonight

Here is the schedule for the Marshall County HoopFest that begins tonight in Draffenville.

Thursday, Nov. 30

Game #1 - (GIRLS) Marshall County vs. Lyon County, 5:30

Game #2 - (BOYS) Marshall County vs. Vienna, Ill., 7pm

Game #3 - (BOYS) Graves County vs. Heath, 8:30

Game #4 - (GIRLS) Paducah Tilghman vs. Massac County, Ill., 10pm

Friday, Dec. 1

Game #5 - (GIRLS) Marshall County vs. Carmi-White County, Ill., 5:30

Game #6 - (BOYS) Paducah Tilghman vs. Shelbyville, Tenn., 7pm

Game #7 - (BOYS) - Marshall County vs. TRIGG COUNTY, 8:30

Game #8 - (BOYS) - Chicago Simeon, Ill. vs. Champaign Central, Ill., 10pm

Saturday, Dec. 2

Game #9 - (BOYS) - St. Mary vs. Massac County, Ill., 8am

Game #10 - (GIRLS) - Lexington Catholic vs. Mt. Juliet, Tenn., 9:30

Game # 11 - (GIRLS) Graves County vs Riverdale, Tenn., 11am

Game # 12 - (BOYS) Riverdale, Tenn. vs. Lafayette, Mo., 12:30pm

Game # 13 - (BOYS) Carbondale, Ill. vs. Webster Groves, Mo., 2pm

Game # 14 - (BOYS) Alton, Ill. vs. Liberty Tech, Tenn., 3:30pm

Game # 15 - (BOYS) Lexington Catholic vs. Pinckneyville, Ill., 6pm

Game # 16 - (BOYS) Oak Hill Academy vs. Jackson Provine, Miss., 7:30

Game # 17 - (BOYS) Peoria Richwoods, Ill. vs. Gulfport, Miss., 9pm

Game # 18 - (BOYS) - Jacksonville Arlington Country Day, Fla. vs. New American School, NY, 10:30pm

Tickets

Nov 30th - Thursday Night Session: $10

Dec. 1st- Friday Night Session: $10

Dec. 2nd - Saturday AM Session: $10

Dec. 2nd Saturday PM Session: $15

All Session Pass: $40.00 (admission to all games)

Dawson Springs 54 Trigg County 52

Not a bad way to the start the season for the Lady Wildcats, who had several chances late to pull out the win at Dawson Springs, a place they haven't won at since 1994.

SCORING

Trinity Wortham - 23 points and five 3-pointers -- both career highs

Melanie Want - 13 points, 10 rebounds

Laquisha Boyd - 7 points, 13 rebounds

Janada Acree - 5 points, 7 rebounds

Kalesha Williams - 4 points, 4 rebounds

• Trigg County shot 21-percent (18-84) from the field, including 7-of-46 (15-percent) in the second half
• Trigg hig 11-of-21 from the free throw line.  Wortham hit 6-of-7.  Dawson Springs was 13-of-35 (37-percent) from the line.
• Dawson Springs outrebounded Trigg 49-41.
• Trigg forced 27 turnovers and committed 26 of their own.
• Trigg was called for 25 fouls, compared to 19 for the Lady Panthers, who were playing without a starter (injury).
• Trigg still leads the all-time series with Dawson Springs 27-23.

Back on track

After enjoying the holiday weekend and the break between football season and basketball season, I'm back at the keyboard after a short layoff.

As always, the blog will have recaps of the games, stats, and the history you'll only find here.

Thanks for making the first three months of the blog a success.  As always, you can send your e-mail and sports news to [email protected].

Lady Wildcats at Dawson Springs

Trigg County kicks off the new season tonight at Dawson Springs.  Because there is not JV game, tipoff is 7pm at the Panther Pit.

Trigg County leads the all-time series 27-22, but Dawson Springs has won 14 of the last 15, including a 51-36 win last year at Wildcat Gym.  Trigg is 8-11 at the Panther Pit and last won there in 1994.

Dawson Springs was 10-18 last year and returns junior Chelsea Mills, who averaged 16.0 points and 8.5 rebounds a game.

Airtime tonight on 106.5 WKDZ is 6:30 with the pregame show.

Season Preview: Trigg Lady Wildcats

Trigg County is facing an uphill battle before the season ever starts, but head coach Amy Breckel feels like it's nothing her young squad can't overcome.

The Lady Wildcats open the 2006-07 season tonight at Dawson Springs.

Trigg County was 5-20 on the floor last year, changed to 3-22 last week.  The Lady Wildcats lost one player to graduation, two more to a family move, and two more who played last year but did not come out for the team this year.

The Lady Wildcats also lost their returning point guard, Laykn Brooks, to a torn ACL in the final soccer game of the season and will miss the entire hoops season.  Brooks, a sophomore, averaged 5.4 points, led the team in steals, and was second in assists.

But the cupboard isn't bare for the Lady Wildcats, who return a solid front court.

Senior Laquisha Boyd averaged 10.9 points and 9.7 rebounds last year from her forward position.

Sophomore Janada Acree averaged 5.7 points and 9.2 rebounds before leaving the team in February.  She is back, and things appear to be OK.

Sophomore Melanie Want is one of the most athletic players on the team and averaged 2.2 points and 2.8 rebounds.

Sophomore Dori Sheehan saw time in 21 games last year, while Kalesha Williams, who hasn't played since middle school, and freshman Keisha Stewart provide front court depth

The backcourt isn't as set.  Sophomore guard Trinity Wortham is the best shooter on the team, scoring 4.8 points and hitting 20 3-pointers last year.

Freshman Audrey Futrell saw action in six games last year and will start the season at the point.

However, freshmen Brooke Allen, Katie Pulley, and Kelci Winn will all see plenty of action.  Winn suffered a hand injury and will miss some time early in the season.

Because of the injuries, Trigg County will not play a JV schedule until after Christmas when the middle school season is over.

The three keys to Trigg's season are....

• SCORING - Trigg scored just 41.6 points a game last year, the lowest since the program's first year in 1974-75.  Scoring begins with shooting, and the Lady Wildcats shot just 31-percent from the floor and 51-percent from the free throw line.  Both must improve this year.
• TURNOVERS - Trigg County averaged 28 turnovers a game last year, which led directly to 22 points every game by the opponent.  Trigg lost 12 games by less than a 22-point margin last year.  Without their returning point guard, possessions will be at a premium and the ball should be taken care of every trip down the floor.
• CHEMISTRY - Always important with a young team.  The Lady Wildcat roster has one senior and one junior.  Everyone else needs to get along or it could be another long season for the Lady Wildcats.

Good Luck to the Lady Wildcats!

Trigg forced to forfeit two games for using ineligible player

Trigg County has been forced to forfeit two girls games from the 2005-06 basketball season for using an ineligible player.

The KHSAA made the announcement last week, penalizing Trigg County for 14 games, which were declared forfeit losses.  The forfeits affected two Trigg County wins -- a Dec. 16 win over University Heights (48-42) and a win over UHA (63-44) in the first round of the 12 Games of Christmas Tournament.

The player was freshman Lexi Estes, who appeared in 14 games, played 97 minutes, and scored nine points.  Estes was a transfer from Marshall County.  TCHS Athletic Director Taylor Sparks said when Estes transferred to Trigg County, she played golf and girls basketball.  When her paperwork arrived from Marshall County, he understood it to indicate Estes had not played any prior sports, although she had played varsity golf. 

Sparks said he could not locate the original transfer paperwork, and when he called Marshall County, they could not either.

Estes left midway through the basketball season and moved back to Marshall County, which caused more transfer paperwork and got the KHSAA involved.

Trigg County was also fined $1,000, which has already been paid by the school, Sparks said.

No further penalties, such as probation, were levied.

The forfeits drop Trigg's '05-'06 record from 5-20 to 3-22.  The forfeits also, unfortunately, put the season into the record books.

• The three wins equals the fewest in a season (1974-75).
• The 22 losses is a new record, breaking the old mark of 21 set in 1986-87 and 2000-01.
• The .120 winning percentage breaks the old mark of .160 (4-21) in 1986-87.

All individual statistics remain on the books.

Sparks said it was the first time the school has been penalized for transfer paperwork while athletic director.  The forfeits are the first in program history.

Midcats split with Crittenden County

The Trigg County seventh grade Midcats won their third straight game with a 44-6 win over Crittenden County Monday night at Midcat Gym.

Trigg led 18-0 and outscored the Rockets 26-6 in the second half.

Jay Bailey had 12 points to lead the Midcats, while Deonquez Nance added seven.

In the eighth grade game, Crittenden County won 47-35.  Alonzo Lewis led Trigg with 11 points, and R.J. Sholar chipped in with seven.

The 7th grade team is now 7-3, while the 8th grade team has a record of 2-8.

The Midcats host Livingston Central tonight at Midcat Gym at 5:30pm.

Travis Treat wins rookie of the year

Travis Treat, an 8th grader at Trigg County Middle School, took fourth place in points in the pure mini-stock go-cart division at the recent Stormpay.com Clarksville Speedway Banquet.

Treat, who won rookie of the year, is the youngest driver to ever race the dirt track at the speedway.

Travis is the son of Mike and Patti Treat of Cadiz.

BGP: Tandy verbals to WVU

Christian County quarterback Keith Tandy has given a verbal commitment to play football at the University of West Virginia, according to Bluegrasspreps.com.

Tandy is a top contender for Mr. Football honors after throwing for nearly 3,000 yards and 33 touchdowns.  He also rushed for over 900 yards and holds many of Christian County's single season and career passing records.

Tandy, who is projected to play cornerback in college, is the second top player from the state of Kentucky to commit to West Virginia, joining Louisville St. Xavier running back Victor Anderson.

UK vs. Memphis

It's hard to believe that Kentucky and Memphis have never played on the hardwood.  They play for third place in the Maui Invitational today after both teams let one get away in the second round last night. 

The giveaway by Memphis was a little worse than UK's, who have some serious issues at point guard.

UK and Memphis play this afternoon, airtime 2pm on WKDZ 106.5 FM.  Tip-off is around 3:30pm (ESPN2).

Pairings for the 12 Games of Christmas announced

The field and matchups for Trigg County's 12 Games of Christmas Girls' Tournament has been released by the school.

Trigg County will play Fulton County (4-17) in the first game Dec. 19 at 4:15 pm.  Fulton County features one of the First Region's quickest guards in Sharika Smith.  The only time these schools have met was in 1991, a 61-57 Fulton County win in Hickman.

Murray (13-13) and University Heights (4-19) will meet in the 5:45 pm game.  Murray finished fifth in last year's tournament, and UHA finished seventh.

In the bottom bracket, Heath (7-18) and McLean County (14-12) will play in the 7:15pm game.  Heath is making their second appearance in the tourney, while McLean County is making their fourth straight trip to Cadiz.

The 8:45pm nightcap features defending 12 Games champion Metcalfe County (14-14) against tourney newcomer Logan County (7-18).

The second round will be on Dec. 20 and the final round on Dec. 21.

This year marks the sixth annual 12 Games of Christmas Tournament.  The tourney sponsor this year is The Cadiz Record.

Midcats split with Lyon County

The Trigg County seventh grade MIdcats won their second straight game with a 32-30 win over Lyon County Tuesday night in Eddyville.

Deonquez Nance led Trigg County with 11 points, while Jermya Love added seven points.  Lyon County's Warren Sutton led all scorers with 21 points.

In the eighth grade game, Lyon County broke a halftime tie and went on to the 33-20 win over the 8th grade Midcats.

Alonzo Lewis led the Midcats with eight points, while Jared Stallons added five.  Josh Polk had 12 points to lead Lyon County.

The 7th grade team is now 6-3 on the season, while the 8th grade falls to 2-7.

Trigg County returns to action Nov. 27 in a home game with Crittenden County at Midcat Gym.

All WKC team announced

Trigg County had seven players named to the All-Western Kentucky Conference 2A team.  They were senior linebacker John David Fourqurean, senior safety Caleb Reynolds, senior defensive back Dhayna Cavanaugh, senior tackle Brian Overby, junior running back Scotty Mayes, junior lineman Ben Koenig, and sophomore running back Brandon Bridges.

Trigg County had two players named to the All-WKC first team, that is made up of players from all four classes.  They were lineman Ben Koenig and linebacker John David Fourqurean.

The players will be honored at the WKC Banquet Dec. 10 at Murray State University.

Here is the complete list of the All-WKC First Team.

Offense                                             
QB-Keith Tandy, Christian Co.            
RB-Deadrian Rollins, Webster co.         
RB-Emmanuel Taylor, Hopkinsville      
RB-Chad Wright, Heath                     
Rec.-Antwain Loving, Hopkinsville      
Rec.-Cameron Williams, Caldwell Co. 
OL-Ben Koenig, Trigg Co.                     
OL-James Shepherd, Christian Co.

OL-Landon Heath, Mayfield                     
OL-Will Beville, Hopkinsville               
C-Elliott Lovitt, Calloway Co.               
K-Tommy McNutt, Mayfield    

Defense

DE-David Jones, Paducah Tilghman

DE-Levi Pruitt, Mayfield

DL-Matt Wilson, Caldwell Co.

DL-A.J. Thompson, Crittenden Co.

DL-Donnell Hill, Madisonville

DL-Andrew Webster, Caldwell Co.

LB-John David Fourqurean, Trigg Co.

LB-Caleb Hargrove, Marshall Co.

DB-Dexter Durrante, Ft. Campbell

DB-Chris Thomas, Hopkinsville

DB-Eric Hutchinson, Paducah Tilghman

P-Aaron Williams, Mayfield

Coach of the Year- David Barnes (Caldwell County)

UK vs. UCLA

UK plays UCLA in the second round of the Maui Invitational tonight.

The Wildcats lead the all-time series with the Bruins 6-3, including three of the last four.

Airtime tonight in 106.5 WKDZ is 7pm with the pregame show.

Swim teams open season

Trigg County opened their 2006 swim season with a seventh place finish at the Hopkinsville Invitational Saturday.

Junior John Reinick took fourth place in the 500-meter freestyle and fifth place in the 100-yard breast stroke to account for all of Trigg's points.

Trigg's girls also competed but did not finish in the top ten, according to head coach Jan Woodall.

"It was a good meet for us because we established our base times for the season.  Because the (Lake Barkley) Lodge pool is not competition length, we have to go to other pools for times.  We now have a good idea of where we are and what we have to do to improve individual times," she said. 

Trigg County has a tentative meet scheduled at Hopkinsville on Nov. 28.

Midcats split games

Trigg County avenged a loss to Hopkinsville last week as the seventh grade Midcats beat Hopkinsville 37-30 Monday night at Midcat Gym.  The 7th graders lost to Hopkinsville 48-30 last Thursday but improve to 5-3 on the season.

Jermya Love and Jakelzie Martin led Trigg County with seven points each, while Jeffrey Bailey led Hoptown with 12 points.

In the eighth grade game, Hoptown won 63-28 as Anthony Hickey and Jeremy Coleman each scored ten points. 

Trigg County, who fell to 2-6, got nine points from Alonzo Lewis.  Alex Sadler canned a pair of 3-pointers and finished with six points.

The Midcats return to action tonight at Lyon County, who they split a pair of games with back on Nov. 9.  Tip-off tonight in Eddyville is 5:30 pm.

Volleyball banquet award winners

Members of the Trigg County volleyball team were recognized at their annual postseason awards banquet Saturday night.

Players receiving awards were: Most Blocks- (82) Kalesha Williams; Most Kills- (109) Kalesha Williams; Most Assists- (264) Casey Banister; Most Aces- (66) Molly Thompson; Best Passer- Stacy Schoneman & Molly Thompson; Senior Awards- Cally Felton, Cayla Hampton & Stacy Schoneman; JV Most Improved- Valerie Ellis Barnes; Varsity Most Improved- Cally Felton; Wildcat Award -Valerie Ellis Barnes; Julia King Award- Molly Thompson

"The season, while not as productive in wins, has provided us with a lot of valuable experience.  For the first time in the history of Trigg Volleyball, three girls had over 85 kills.  Two of those three will be returning, Kalesha Williams (jr.) and Molly Thompson (soph.).  We have two of the top 10 setters in the region.  Casey Banister is a sophomore and has three years of starting experience at setter," said head coach Rick Erickson.

Playing the score

Everyone who plays the lottery has their own system for picking their numbers.

For Ohio State football fans, playing the score of the Buckeyes' win over Michigan (42-39) Saturday meant some quick cash.

Kentucky looks to continue Maui success

Kentucky looks to continue their Maui Invitational success against DePaul Monday night.  Kentucky is 9-2 in Maui games, winning the 1993 title on Jeff Brassow's tip-in at the buzzer.

UK lost to Arizona in the second round of the 1997 tourney and lost to Virginia in the second round of the 2002 tourney.

Kentucky is playing DePaul for the first time since the 1970 UKIT at Memorial Coliseum.  UK is 17-3 against the Blue Demons.

Click HERE for a tourney bracket.

Also in UK's half of the bracket is UCLA, who they last played and beat in 2003, and Chaminade, who they beat in 1985 in their only career meeting.

Below is how UK has fared against the Maui field.

Opponent              Record                    Last Meeting

DePaul                   17-3                     1970 (Won 106-85)

Chaminade             1-0                      1985 (Won 89-57)

UCLA                      6-3                      2003 (Won 52-50)

Oklahoma               2-0                      1987 (Won 75-74)

Memphis                0-0                       Never met

Georgia Tech       56-15                      2000 (Lost 86-84)

Purdue                6-2                          1997 (Won 89-75)

Air-time for UK/DePaul is Monday night at 6:30pm.

Higgins coming back?

Internet message boards have been discussing the possibility that Wildcat head coach Curtis Higgins will not return next year.

Asked about his future at Trigg County on the WKDZ post-game show following Trigg County's loss to Owensboro Catholic, Higgins gave an unoptimistic "to be determined."

Higgins requested an additional paid assistant coach be added to his staff last spring, which was approved by the Trigg County School Board.

Higgins' brother-in-law was given preliminary approval to be hired for the final position, and even helped coach the team during the summer 7-on-7 drills and the two preseason scrimmages.  However, he wasn't hired when school began in August, and the Wildcats have operated short an assistant coach all season.

One of the places Higgins is rumored to be interested in is Henderson County, although embattled Colonel head coach Duffer Duffy has coached his team to a regional title and appearance in the 4A state semifinals.

Higgins is 69-26 in eight seasons as Wildcat head coach, and his .726 winning percentage is the highest of any TCHS football coach.  He has also coached the Wildcats to a school-record seven consecutive winning seasons.

"To be determined" isn't exactly the answer many Wildcat fans were hoping to hear concerning Higgins' self-determined future as TCHS football coach.

Owensboro Catholic 28 Trigg County 27 (ot)

Another year, another season-ending loss to Owensboro Catholic.

Unlike the past three years, Trigg County had several chances late to win the game, which was played before a crowd of 3,400 people at Steele Stadium in Owensboro.

Trigg County took a 21-14 lead with 8:41 left in the third quarter when Donald Bush hooked up with Dustin White on an 87-yard TD pass -- the second longest pass play in school history.

OCHS answered when Nick Norcia made a nice one-handed grabbed in the back of the end zone to tie the game at 21 with 5:02 left in the third quarter.

Neither team scored in the fourth quarter.  Trigg lost the coin toss and scored on their first overtime play when Bush hit John David Fourqurean for a 10-yard TD.  The extra point was wide left.

On fourth down and 1, Stewart Ijames scored and then kicked the extra point for the win.  Owensboro Catholic improves to 9-4.  Trigg County's season is over at 10-3.

Other notes from the game...

• The overtime game was Trigg County's first since losing to Glasgow in double-overtime in the 2001 region final.
• Trigg County outgained the Aces 326-293.
• Caleb Reynolds tied a school record with three interceptions.  Mike P'Pool also had three picks against Crittenden County in 1991.
• Sophomore quarterback Donald Bush completed 16-of-22 passes for 221 yards and three TDs.  He became the 17th quarterback to pass for 1,000 yards in a season and extends Trigg's streak of 1,000-yard passers to nine straight seasons.
• Trigg County lost all three of their starting running backs to injuries throughout the game.  Scotty Mayes delivered a knockout tackle to Owensboro Catholic quarterback Evan Walker, who left the game with a separated shoulder.  However, Mayes likely suffered a shoulder injury on the play and saw limited action in the second half.  Brandon Bridges suffered a stinger to his arm, and Dustin Calhoun separated his shoulder on a fourth quarter pass reception.  Head coach Curtis Higgins said it was popped back into place on the field (OUCH!) and Calhoun did not return.
• Dhayna Cavanaugh caught six passes for 73 yards, and Dustin White caught four passes for a career-high 118 yards.
• Owensboro Catholic saw three second half drives extended by a Trigg penalty in the second half.
• Owensboro Catholic is the first team since Mayfield (1984-93) to win four straight Class 2A Region I titles.
• Neil Holland's 80-yard punt return in the second quarter was the first against the Wildcats in 11 years.  Murray's Johnny Harrison returned a punt 82 yards in a 1995 playoff game, stepping out of bounds but not seen by the officials.  The longest punt return by the Wildcats was an 85-yard return by Hopkinsville's Herb Covington in 1962.

Trigg County vs. Owensboro Catholic

Trigg County is playing for their first region title since 1989.  Owensboro Catholic is looking to become the first Class 2A Region I team since Mayfield (1983-94) to win four straight region titles.

Gametime is 7:30pm at Steele Stadium on the campus of Kentucky Wesleyan College.  HERE are the driving directions to the game.

Here is a further breakdown of tonight's game...

• Trigg County is 10-2 and have won six straight games.  Owensboro Catholic is 8-4 and have won five straight games.
• The Wildcats have won seven road games in a season for the first time since their 1971 state title team.  They have never won eight true road games in a season.
• The Wildcats have won four straight road games in four weeks.  The last time they played four road games in four weeks was 1981 (3-1).  The last time they won four road games in four weeks was 1971.  This week will mark the first time Trigg has ever played five road games in five straight weeks.
• Trigg County won the district title without playing a home playoff game.  They did the same thing in 1971 -- all road games -- and 1972 when they had to play the first two rounds at Walnut Street Stadium because Trigg's field was unplayable.
• Trigg County's career playoff record is 19-14 and 5-9 on the road.  Curtis Higgins' playoff record at Trigg County is 8-6.
• The Wildcats are 1-3 against Owensboro Catholic, getting their only win over the Aces in 2001.
• Owensboro Catholic has won nine straight home playoff games dating back to 2002 (Webster County) and 14 of their last 16 back to 1999.

Trigg County by the numbers

• Scoring Offense - 27.9 ppg.; Scoring Defense 10.5 ppg.
• Rushing per game - 218.7 ypg.; Rush Defense 106.3 ypg.
• Passing per game - 76.1 ypg.; Pass Defense - 91.8 ypg.
• Total Offense - 294.9 ypg.; Defense 198.1 ypg.
• Rushing - Brandon Bridges 1,189 yds., 14 TDs; Scotty Mayes 827 yds., 12 TDs
• Passing - Donald Bush 60/131, 848 yds., 9 TDs, 8 INTs
• Receiving - Dhayna Cavanaugh 23/352, 5 TDs; Dustin White 11/181, 1 TD.
• Sacks - 42; Sacks allowed 17
• Turnover margin - (minus-2)

Owensboro Catholic by the numbers

• Scoring Offense - 34.0 ppg., Scoring Defense 18.0 ppg.
• Rushing per game - 140.6 ypg.; Rush Defense 125.8 ypg.
• Passing per game - 183.2 ypg; Pass Defense 118.6 ypg.
• Total Offense - 323.8 ypg; Defense - 244.4 ypg.
• Rushing - Stewart Ijames 637 yards, 10 TDs; Evan Walker 223 yards, 5 TDs.
• Passing - Evan Walker 163/258, 1,974 yds., 23 TDs, 14 INTs
• Receiving - Neil Holland 56/924, 14 TDs; Nick Norcia 40/443, 8 TDs

Midcats fall to Hopkinsville Middle

Hopkinsville Middle School swept a doubleheader from the Midcats Thursday night in boys' basketball  action in Hopkinsville.

Hoptown won the 8th grade game 55-11 as R.J. Sholar and Alonzo Lewis led the Midcats with three points apiece.

In the 7th grade game, Hopkinsville led by just four at halftime, 27-23, but pulled away in the second half for a 48-30 win.  Nick Wright led Trigg with ten points, and Jeffrey Bailey added eight points.

The 8th grade team fell to 2-5 with the loss, while the 7th grade is now 4-3.

Trigg will host the same Hopkinsville team Monday night at Midcat Gym.

Boys Soccer Baquet

Members of the Trigg County boys' soccer team were honored at their annual postseason awards banquet Thursday night.

JV Awards went to John Mark Adams (JV Superstar Award); Zack Adams (Most Improved); Colton Bridges (Leading Scorer); Jeremy Butts (Top Player); Jonathon Finley (110% Award); Tate Hemp (Most Improved); Ezra McNichols (Top Defender); Aaron Yielding (Newcomer Award); Tanner Stallons (Captain's Award); and Caleb Simmons (Super Sub Award).

Varsity Awards went to Cole Davis (All-District, Captain's Award, Field General, Senior Award); Zach Thompson (All-District, Senior Award); Roman Cail (All-District, Field General); A.J. Bridges (All-District, All-Region, Offensive MVP); Josh Green (Most Improved); Jeremy Butts (Most Improved); Wesley Croom (Comeback Player); Trevor Harper (Comeback Player); and John Reineick (Iron Man Award).

Trigg's only scrimmage is Saturday

Trigg County's lone preseason boys basketball scrimmage will be Saturday at George Rogers Clark High School.

Front and center

Antonio Grubbs and his teammates in the secondary are on the front page of www.bluegrasspreps.com today.

Cross Country Banquet

Members of the Trigg County cross country teams were honored at their annual awards banquet Wednesday night at Timbers Restaurant.

The following girls' awards were given to Shakandace Malone (Outstanding Overall Runner); Macey King (110% Award, Outstanding Elementary Runner); Alex Olin (110% Award); Rachel Cronin (Most Improved Runner); Lynease Byers (Outstanding Middle School Runner); and Taylor Bryant (Outstanding High School Runner).

The following boys' awards were given to Jay Jolly (Outstanding Overall Runner, 110% Award); Jayven Jones (Outstanding Elementary Runner); Romaine Cunningham (Outstanding Middle School Runner); Grady Cofield (Coaches Award); Jakelzie Martin (Coaches Award); and Landon Sumner (Most Improved).

Cunningham also got a plaque for finishing second out of 371 runners in the sixth grade and under division of the Meet of Champions race in Lexington.

The community support award was given to Todd King.

In or out?

Perhaps the game-turning moment in Trigg County's 10-7 win over Caldwell County last week was Caldwell's apparent go-ahead touchdown that was ruled out of bounds.

From the pressbox, it appeared as if Tiger receiver Curt Martin had one foot in bounds as he hauled down the pass in the corner.

Todd Griffin of the Princeton Times-Leader may have some photographic proof that Trigg benefitted from the call.

As far as the call goes, all I can say is....it's about time Trigg County benefitted from a call or decision.  Below is my top seven list off the top of my head of the biggest calls/decisions that have gone against a Trigg County team or athlete.

7. The district baseball coaches voted last year to redo the alphabetical rotation of who hosts the district baseball tournament.  It was Trigg's turn to host in 2006 after last hosting in 2001.  The new format, voted on by the district athletic directions, gives Trigg the tourney again in 2009 -- an eight year hiatus.

6. Trigg County appeared to be the third seed in the 2003 girls' Fifth District Tournament after winning a coin toss with Livingston Central.  Instead, it was determined that a makeup game was scheduled after the district meeting, which gave Trigg an additional loss and voided the coin toss.  The result was a four seed and a second round loss to 12-time defending district champion Caldwell County.

5. In a much-anticipated season opener, rain stopped Trigg County's game with Mayfield, with the Cardinals leading 20-7.  Mayfield scored their first touchdown with an illegal formation that wasn't caught by the referees.  When Mayfield refused to come back and play, the KHSAA ruled the game a final after just 14 minutes of action.

4. Trigg County was penalized for playing one game too many in the regular season and saw their 2001-02 basketball season ended by the KHSAA before the district tournament began.  Other schools had done the same thing in previous years but weren't penalized because the infraction wasn't reported until after the postseason began. 

3. Murray's Johnny Harrison returned a punt 82 yards in the game's final minute to give Murray a 14-12 win in the second round of the 1995 football playoffs.  It was obvious and later confirmed on game film that Harrison stepped out of bounds along the Trigg County sideline after a return of just 15 yards.

2. In one of the more bizarre moments in Trigg County sports history, Josh Adams found himself trying to stop two shots at once in the first round of the All-A State Soccer Cup in 2001.  With Trigg ahead 3-2 late in the second half, a ball that had caromed out of bounds along the sideline bounced back in when play continued.  The referee tried to kick the ball out of bounds but instead kicked it toward the Wildcat goal, where Adams made a break to play that ball.  Meanwhile, Kentucky Country Day was working a breakaway and scored on a shot before Adams could recover in the net.  The goal stood and Trigg lost in a shootout.  Still one of the biggest botched calls I've ever witnessed.

1. Having a call go against you is bad.  When it is the state championship game, it's even worse.  In the 1989 Class A title game, Trigg County was tied with Pikeville 7-7 in the first half.  The Pikeville quarterback threw a lateral screen pass that was fumbled.  I think it was Kenny Wirts that picked up the fumble and ran it in for a touchdown that would have given the Wildcats a lead going into the locker room at halftime.  The refs (wrongly) called the pass incomplete, saying it was ahead of the line of scrimmage (which it was not).  The call nullified any momentum Trigg gained going into halftime. 

All I can say is, it's about time Trigg County got a call.  Now, let's see what they do with it.

Girls Hoops Scrimmage tonight

Trigg County hosts their final preseason girls' basketball scrimmage tonight at 6pm against Ballard Memorial at Wildcat Gym.  Trigg opens the season Nov. 28 at Dawson Springs.

Midcats drop two to North Drive

Trigg County dropped a pair of middle school boys basketball games against North Drive Tuesday in Cadiz.

Trigg lost the eighth grade game 56-22.  The Midcats trailed 39-3 at halftime and couldn't recover.  Devon Wharton led Trigg with seven points, and Nick Watkins and R.J. Sholar added five each.David Wilson led North Drive with ten points.

In the seventh grade game, Dedrick Lewis scored 22 points to lead North Drive to a 52-15 win.  Jakelzie Martin led Trigg with six points.

The 8th grade team is now 2-4 on the season, while the seventh grade team is 4-2.  Both teams return to action tonight at Hopkinsville Middle at 5:30 pm.

Region 1 players, coaches of the year

Here are the Kentucky Football Coaches Association players and coaches of the year from Region I

Class A

District 1 - Adam Shelton - POY (Mayfield); Wayne Lohaus - COY (Fulton City)

District 2 - Will Wharf - POY (Metcalfe County); Marshall Enoch - COY (McLean County)

Class 2A

District 1 - Cameron Williams - POY (Caldwell County); David Barnes - COY (Caldwell County)

District - Seth Graves - POY (Monroe County); John Pettet - COY (Monroe County)

Class 3A

District 1 - Emmanuel Taylor - POY (Hopkinsville); Perry Thomas - COY (Paducah Tilghman)

District 2 - Avery Hibbett - POY (Bowling Green); Brad Hood - COY (Allen County-Scottsville)

Class 4A

District 1 - Alan Williams - POY (Marshall County); Mark Rogers - COY (Graves County)

District 2 - Antionne Lightfoot - POY (Henderson County); Joe Prince (Owensboro) and Jeff Carlberg (Apollo)

Driving Directions to Owensboro Catholic

Driving directions to Owensboro Catholic are pretty much the same this year as they were last year, and the year before, and the year before that.  Frederica Street is your main destination, although this year you are driving to Kentucky Wesleyan College instead of Rash Stadium.  The game will be played at Steele Stadium, which is on the campus of KWC.

The easiest way to go is through Central City and take U.S. 431 north.  Once you come into Owensboro, U.S. 431 becomes Frederica Street.  Plus, U.S. 431 is a little better road than driving through Calhoun or Beech Grove.  I'll try and give you both sets of directions.

Going through Central City

• Take the Pennyrile Parkway north, take exit 34A toward Elizabethtown on the Western Kentucky Parkway.
• Get off exit 58 (U.S. 431) and drive through Central City, staying on U.S. 431.
• You will continue on U.S. 431 through the towns of South Carrollton, Island, and Livermore.
• Once you come into Owensboro, you will pass under the bypass.  Continue straight.
• Turn left on either College Street or President's Drive.  DO NOT PARK ON COLLEGE STREET OR THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE STADIUM.

Going through Beech Grove and bypassing Calhoun

• Pennyrile Parkway north through Madisonville and get off at exit 63.
• Take KY 56 east into Beech Grove and veer left, staying on KY 56.
• KY 56 will take you through St. Joseph and West Louisville.  Stay on KY 56.
• KY 56 will take you into Owensboro (and past a famous BBQ restaurant).
• KY 56 becomes KY 81.  Turn right onto Frederica Street and continue until you reach the campus of KWC.  Turn right on either College Street or President's Drive.  DO NOT PARK ON COLLEGE STREET OR THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE STADIUM.

Player update: Jake Wallace

Guess who the second leading tackler is for Campbellsville University?

Jake Wallace, who went from a scrawny back-up to senior starter at Trigg County, has 63 tackles for the Tigers this year.

Wallace, who is a sophomore defensive back, also has 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions (tied for the team lead), and one forced fumble.

Campbellsville has struggled to a 2-8 record with a roster composed of mainly underclassmen. 

Greg Acree, a 2006 graduate of Trigg County High School, has played in five games for Campbellsville and has one tackle and one pass break-up as a freshman defensive back.

From Miss Basketball to the workplace

In April, Arnika Brown was standing with the governor, accepting her trophy as Miss Basketball and getting ready to play for the University of Kentucky.

Seven months later, she's back in her hometown of Hopkinsville working in a factory.

Lady Wildcats host first scrimmage tonight

Trigg County's girls basketball team will host their first preseason scrimmage tonight at Wildcat Gym.

The format will be a little odd but will get underway at 5:30pm.

Trigg will play St. Mary in three ten-minute quarters, followed by St. Mary and Madisonville playing three ten-minute quarters.

Trigg and Madisonville will then play three ten-minute quarters, followed by one 15-minute JV quarter.

The Lady Wildcats will play their final preseason scrimmage Thursday night at Wildcat Gym against Ballard Memorial.

Trigg County tips off the 2006-07 season Tuesday, November 28 at Dawson Springs.

Isom named Academic All-Conference

Union College junior Dustin Isom of Hopkinsville was named to the Appalachian Athletic Conference Men's Soccer All-Academic Team. 

Isom had five assists for the Bulldogs, who were 5-14 overall and 2-6 in league play.

Dougherty named Academic All-District

Centre College senior football player Brian Dougherty of Hopkinsville has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV First Team College Division Football team.

Dougherty, a four-year starting defensive end for the Colonels, carries a 3.50 grade-point average as a computer science major. As a first team academic all-district selection, Dougherty will now have the opportunity to earn Academic All-American status.

The senior defender has recorded 41 tackles this year, including 16.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Dougherty has also forced two fumbles to go along with two fumble recoveries. His 16.5 tackles for loss leads all Centre defensive players and ranks as the second highest in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC). His 5.5 sacks also leads the Colonels and ranks third in the SCAC among all defenders.

Dougherty was an all-SCAC Honorable Mention pick in 2005 and a second team all-SCAC selection in 2003. Along with his athletic accolades, he was also a member of the 2003 and 2005 SCAC Academic Honor Rolls and has been on the Dean's List during his time at Centre.

Haynesworth to return to Titans Wednesday

Anybody else find it ironic that former Titans Steve McNair and Derrick Mason hooked up for the winning touchdown in the Ravens' win over Tennessee Sunday?

Meanwhile, the Titans' defense could get a boost this week when suspended defensive end Albert Haynesworth returns from his suspension for his Riverdance impression on Dallas center Andre Gurode Oct. 1.

Bowling update

With Kentucky's win over Vanderbilt and Louisville's loss to Rutgers, things have changed somewhat amongst the bowl predictions.

CBS Sportsline.com says the Wildcats will play Oklahoma State in the Independance Bowl -- an intriguing matchup, but it may be a little low for where the Wildcats could end up.  Last week, they had UK in the Liberty Bowl. 

SI.com still has the Wildcats in the Music City Bowl in Nashville, only now against Maryland.  Last week, it was Boston College.  John Clay of the Lexington Herald-Leader also pegs UK for Nashville in his blog this week.

Louisville has gone from the national title game to the Orange Bowl and a matchup against Wake Forest, according to CBS Sportsline.com.

SI.com projects an even worse fit for the Cardinals -- a date with Oregon in the Sun Bowl.

ESPN.com is split on both UK and UL.

Trigg ranked 4th of 8 playoff teams

Trigg County is ranked fourth out of the eight Class 2A teams left in the playoffs, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader's Cantrell Rankings.  The rankings still say the Wildcats (10-2) are a four-point favorite to unseat Owensboro Catholic (8-4) as regional champion.

Woodson named SEC Offensive Player of the Week again

For the second time this year, UK quarterback Andre Woodson has been named the SEC offensive Player of the Week.

Trigg finishes 19th at state meet

Trigg County's girls cross country team finished 19th Saturday at the Class A State Meet in Lexington.

Trigg's top finisher was eighth grader Shakandace Malone, who finished 91st in a time of 23:09.

Lynease Byers was 140th in 25:07, followed by Macey King in 142nd (25:18); Taylor Bryant in 159th (26:49); and Rachel Cronin in 161st (27:16).

Danville seventh grader Kaitlin Snapp won the race in a time of 19:22 over the 3.1 mile course.

Walton-Verona won the team title, their first since 1995, while Fort Campbell was 13th and Trigg County 19th.

On the boys' side, Trigg's Jay Jolly was 91st in a time of 19:21.

St. Henry junior Gordy Dooley won the race in a time of 16:09.

In the news

Here is a brief story on Owensboro Catholic's 42-9 win over Glasgow from the Bowling Green Daily News.

Here is a recap of Trigg County's 10-7 win over Caldwell County from the Princeton Times-Leader

Trigg County 10 Caldwell County 7

I don't write headlines for the newspaper anymore, but if I did, this week's would be --

Trigg uses Cole power to beat Caldwell County.

The Wildcat senior booted a 47-yard field goal with 4:38 left for the game-winner.  The field goal tied a school record for distance, first set by Josh Birdsong against Heath in 2002.  It was also Cole's fifth field goal of the year, which sets a new school record.

But it was his punting that kept Trigg in the game early, with five punts that averaged 43 yards and kept the Tigers backed up in their own territory.

Other notes from the game...

• Trigg was outgained 124 to minus-2 in the first quarter.  They outgained Caldwell 203-133 over the final three quarters.
• Caldwell County gained 77 yards on their first play.  They gained 180 on their final 51 plays (3.5 ypp)
• Trigg's defense sacked Caldwell quarterback Will Barnes five times (two by Will Stagner).  They have 42 sacks on the season, which is the most in over 30 years.  I'm not sure of the number of sacks by the state champion teams of 1971-72.
• Caldwell's Rodney Bell had 15 carries for 72 yards and caught eight passes for 66 yards.
• Trigg quarterback Donald Bush was 10-14 passing for 119 yards.  Senior Dhayna Cavanaugh caught five passes for 64 yards.
• Trigg County wins their first district title since 2001 and goes with titles won in 1967, 1971, 1972, 1989, and 1995.
• The Wildcats have won four straight road games in four weeks.  The last time they played four road games in four week was 1981 (3-1).  The last time they won four road games in four weeks was 1971.  This week will mark the first time Trigg has ever played five road games in five straight weeks.
• Trigg County has avenged a regular season loss with a playoff win each of the last two weeks.  The only other time that happened was 1994 (Fulton County).
• Trigg County won the district title without playing a home playoff game.  They did the same thing in 1971 -- all road games -- and 1972 when they had to play the first two rounds at Walnut Street Stadium because Trigg's field was unplayable.
• The Wildcats (10-2) play at Owensboro Catholic (8-4) for a shot at their first region title since 1989.

Directions to the new OCath field will be on the blog later in the week.

Trigg County vs. Caldwell County: Round Two

For the first time ever, Trigg County and Caldwell County will meet in the playoffs, with the winner to claim the district championship.  Caldwell hasn't won a district title since 1998, while the Wildcats haven't brought home the district hardware since 2001.

Gametime tonight in Princeton is 7:30pm, with all tickets $6.

Caldwell County leads the all-time series 35-17-1, including a 19-7 record in Princeton.  However, Trigg has won six of the last eight games against the Tigers.

Caldwell claimed a 17-0 win Sept. 22 in Princeton, becoming the first team in seven years to shut out the Wildcats.

You can listen to the game tonight on 106.5 WKDZ or streaming at www.wkdzradio.com.   

Here is a detailed breakdown of tonight's game.

Offense: Trigg 29.5 ppg.  Caldwell 31.7 ppg.

Total Yards: Trigg 303.4  Caldwell 341.0

Rushing Yards: Trigg 231.1 Caldwell 160.0

Passing Yards: Trigg 72.2 Caldwell 181.0

Defense: Trigg 10.9  Caldwell 15.7

Rushing Yards Allowed: Trigg 112.2 Caldwell 105.9

Passing Yards Allowed: Trigg 80.5 Caldwell 124.4

Leading Rusher: Trigg - Brandon Bridges 138/1184, 14 TDs  Caldwell - Rodney Bell 122/809, 8TDs

Leading Passer: Trigg - Donald Bush, 50/117, 729 yds, 8 TD, 8 INT  Caldwell - Will Barnes, 150/235, 1,788 yds, 23 TDs, 7 INT

Leading Receiver: Trigg - Dhayna Cavanaugh 18/288, 4 TDs  Caldwell - Cameron Williams 59/769, 10 TDs

Cross Country team at state meet

The Trigg County cross country teams will compete at the Class A State Cross Country Meet Saturday at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

The boys run at 9:30am (ET), while the girls will start at 10:15am (ET).

The girls team is competing as a team at the state meet for the first time since 2002.  The only runner with state meet experience is fifth grader Macey King, who finished 158th last year as a fourth grader.

The KHSAA has released their pre-race performance rankings based on finishes at the region meets.  Here is where the Trigg County runners stack up.

GIRLS

35. Shakandace Malone

37. Lynease Byers

111. Macey King

148. Taylor Bryant

161. Rachel Cronin

BOYS

95. Jay Jolly

Louisville vs. Rutgers

A meaningful college football game in New Jersey in November?  That's what happens tonight when Louisville and Rutgers meet on ESPN at 6:30pm.  The Scarlet Knights appear to be the last big hurdle in the way of Louisville and a possible berth in the national title game.

Last week's win over West Virginia was viewed by the second largest audience in ESPN history for a college football game.  With their northeastern bias and double the promotion of last week's game, the four-letter network is hoping for another big audience.

For Louisville, they are the first team to play unbeaten teams in consecutive weeks in November.

Second Upward League tryout tonight

The Second evaluation tryout for the newly formed Trigg County Upward Basketball League will be tonight from 6-8 at the Cadiz Baptist Church Youth Center.

Upward Basketball is a new basketball opportunity for boys and girls in grades K–4.  Registration is under way and continues through November 10.

The $30 registration fee includes a reversible mesh jersey, t-shirt, individual awards after each practice and game, an end of the year award, an Upward car magnet, and more.  Children are guaranteed equal playing time, one hour weekly practices, and one hour games throughout the eight-week season.

The purpose of Upward Basketball is to recognize the winner in every child by offering non-competitive, non-threatening environment where every participant gets equal playing time.  Upward promotes character and self-esteem through sports.  Every child will receive an award following each game to recognize a positive contribution he or she made that day.   

All children who participate will also receive a special award at the end of the season during a special awards ceremony.

The final evaluation tryout will be Saturday from 8:30-11:00 AM.

Registration brochures are available at churches, schools, and businesses in Trigg County.  For more information, contact Jason Strickland at 522-6002 or visit the Upward website at www.triggupward.org.