Scott Brown's SportsBytes on WKDZ

Trigg County 63 Herrin 54

Rodney Davis exploded for a career-high 42 points to lead Trigg County past Herrin, Ill. 63-54 Saturday night in the final round of the Marion Holiday Tournament.

Davis was 15-of-28 from the field, including 13-of-19 on two-point shots.  He finished the five-game event with 123 points, which tied the tournament record set by Union County's Antonio Davis last year.  Davis also passed the 1,000-point mark for his career at Trigg County.

Like their game earlier in the day, Trigg County fell behind early and dug out of a halftime hole.  Herrin jumped out to a 23-12 lead after one quarter and led the Wildcats 32-24 at halftime.  Trigg pulled to within 46-44 after three quarters and outscored Herrin 19-8 in the fourth quarter.

"We mixed up our defenses in the second half, and it confused them.  We also got our legs back and shot well," Wildcat head coach Jeff Embrey said following Trigg County's fifth game in four days.

Zack Wright and Jonathon King both scored eight points for the Wildcats, while Patrick Brewster led Herrin (3-9) with 17 points.

Trigg County salvaged a 2-3 record in the tournament, which tied them for third place.   Saturday's sweep also raised their record to 4-8 and helped them avoid losing 10 games in December for the first time in school history.

"This will be positive for us coming out of the break and hopefully get us going in the right direction for the rest of the season," Embrey said.

Trigg County returns to action Friday when they host Hopkins Central at Wildcat Gym.

Trigg County 72 Union County 65

Trigg County got their first win of the Marion Holiday Tournament with a 72-65 win over Union County Saturday afternoon.

The Wildcats overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to outscore Union 27-13 in the third quarter and take a 53-49 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Trigg sealed the win by hitting 17-of-21 free throws in the contest.

"They put a half court trap on us in the second quarter, and we weren't aggressive," Wildcat head coach Jeff Embrey said of the second quarter.  "We gave up fast break layups and tried to lob over the top.  We made better decisions in the third quarter and shot the ball better."

Rodney Davis scored 17 of his game-high 35 points in the fourth quarter and hit 11-of-12 at the free throw line.  Jonathon King hit three 3-pointers and finished with 17 points, and Zack Wright tossed in a season-high 14 points.

Union County (5-8) was led by Torez Jones' 19 points, and Jake Marshall added 18 points.

Union County still leads the all-time series with Trigg 11-10, but the Wildcats have won three in a row against the Braves for the first time since 1975-77.

Marion 67 Trigg County 48

Jeff Embrey called it Trigg County's best game of the year despite losing to Marion 67-48 in the third round of the Marion Holiday Tournament.

"They're as good a team as we'll see all year," Embrey said.  "We gave them everything they wanted for 28 minutes and were down 11, but we tried to extend the floor to catch up, and they pulled away."

The game was tied at 12 after one quarter, with Marion leading 26-22 at halftime.  Marion led 43-30 after three quarters and outscored Trigg 24-18 in the final frame.

Embrey said Trigg's defense was much improved as the Wildcats took six charges on defense.  As has been the trend in the tournament. the teams didn't go to the free throw line much.  The previous night, Trigg County and Lake County combined for 13 free throw attempts.  Friday night, the teams combined for seven FT attempts.

Jonathon King led the Wildcats with 19 points, Rodney Davis added 17, and Ryan Eubanks scored six.

Dustin Knight came off the Marion bench to hit six 3-pointers and finish with a game-high 21 points.

"He was the difference in the game," Embrey said of Marion's sophomore guard.

Marion improved to 8-4 and will play Lake County for the title tonight.

Trigg County falls to 2-8 and will play twice today.  The Wildcats play Union County at 12:30pm and Herrin, Ill. tonight at 6pm.

MARION HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT RECAP AND SCHEDULE

Wednesday, Dec. 27

Lake County, Tenn. 89  Herrin, Ill. 76

Marion. Ill. 73  Union County 48

Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, Ill. 89  Trigg County 59

Thursday, Dec. 28

Lake County, Tenn. 80 Trigg County 54

Marion 66 Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin 36

Herrin 65  Union County 61

Friday, Dec. 29

Herrin 66  Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin 61

Marion 67  Trigg County 48

Lake County, Tenn. 75  Union County 66

Saturday, Dec. 30

Marion vs. Herrin, 11 a.m.

Trigg County vs. Union County, 12:30 p.m.

Lake County, Tenn. vs. Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, 2 p.m.

Trigg County vs. Herrin, 6 p.m.

Union County vs. Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, 7:30 p.m.

Marion vs. Lake County, Tenn., 9 p.m.

Whitesville Trinity 62 Trigg County 48

Trigg County finished sixth in the McLean County RC Cola Classic after falling to Whitesville Trinity 62-48 Friday night in Calhoun.

Trigg led 13-12 after one quarter thanks to the inside play of sophomore center Janada Acree, who scored 11 of Trigg's 13 points in the first frame.  However, Acree picked up two quick fouls at the end of the quarter, and Trinity took advantage by outscoring Trigg 21-7 in the quarter to take a 33-20 halftime lead.

Whitesville Trinity (6-3) led 49-30 after three quarters and extended their lead to as many as 30 in the fourth quarter before the Lady Wildcats made a late run to make the final score respectable.

Acree finished with 21 points to lead Trigg, while Laquisha Boyd added 18 points.  Brooke Allen, Kalesha Williams, Kelci Winn, and Dori Sheehan each scored two points, and Keisha Stewart scored one point.

Ashley Aud led the Lady Raiders with 14 points, and Kelly Metcalfe added 13 points.

Trigg continued their strong shooting at the charity stripe, hitting 14-of-20.  Boyd was 8-of-9 for the night and was 16-of-20 in her last two games.

Trigg County is now 3-9 on the season and will host University Heights Tuesday night at Wildcat Gym at 7:30pm.

Trigg County 63 Cannelton, Ind. 49

Trigg County overcame a sluggish three quarters of play and responded with a 25-9 fourth quarter run that was enough to send them past Cannelton, Ind. 63-49 in the consolation bracket of the McLean County RC Cola Classic Thursday night in Calhoun.

The Lady Wildcats will play Whitesville Trinity tonight at 5:30pm in the fifth place game.  The Lady Raiders beat Crittenden County 58-51 in the other consolation game.

Trigg led 15-14 after one quarter but trailed 27-25 at halftime and 40-38 after three quarters.

"It was a two-point game for most of the night before we turned it on and decided to play," said Lady Wildcat head coach Matt Wilder.  "We ran the fast break well and got layups or fouled every time down the floor in the fourth quarter."

Laquisha Boyd led the Lady Wildcats with 24 points, including 8-of-11 at the free throw line.  Janada Acree added 15 points, and Brooke Allen came off the bench to score nine points.  Kelci Winn and Audrey Futrell both scored four points.  Melanie Want scored three points, and Kalesha Williams and Dori Sheehan both scored two for the Lady Wildcats, who hit 13-of-26 at the free throw line.

Courtney Glenn led Cannelton (1-11) with 20 points.

Trigg County improves to 3-8 with the win, their first in a post-Christmas holiday tournament since 1992.

Lake County 80 Trigg County 54

Lake County nailed 15 three-pointers and used a big third quarter to beat Trigg County 80-54 in the second round of the Marion Holiday Tournament. 

The Falcons (10-1) hit nine 3's in the first half, led 27-15 after one quarter, and held a 41-27 lead at halftime.

"They shot poorly last night, and they didn't miss tonight," said Wildcat head coach Jeff Embrey.  "We got some good looks inside, but we lack the size to finish."

Ahead by 14 at halftime, the Falcons outscored Trigg 23-13 in the third quarter for a 64-40 lead heading into the final frame.

"We handled their press OK, but we had a few too many turnovers in the half court.  But we did play better tonight than Wednesday," Embrey said.

Jonathon King rebounded from a three-point effort the previous night to lead the Wildcats with 21 points and 13 rebounds.  King scored 11 of Trigg's 15 first quarter points.

Zack Wright added 11 points, and Jalik Alexander and Rodney Davis each scored eight points.

Channin Geanes buried six 3-pointers and led Lake County with 23 points.

The Wildcats fall to 2-7 on the season and will play the host team Marion tonight at 7pm.  Trigg will have to go up against a Marion frontcourt that features 6-8 Ivan Reliford, who transferred to Marion from Kansas and just became eligible this week.

Marion carries a 7-4 record into tonight's game, which is the third between the two schools.  The series record is 1-1.

Tomorrow, Trigg plays Union County at 12:30pm and Herrin, Ill. at 6pm.

 

Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin 89 Trigg County 59

Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin used a 16-2 run to end the first half and turn a one-point game into a 42-27 halftime advantage.  The Cyclones then pulled away for an 89-59 win in the first round of the Marion Holiday Tournament.

"They were more physical and older than we were, and we just didn't run the floor and play well," said Wildcat head coach Jeff Embrey.  "We had plenty of open looks, but missed too many shots in the first few minutes of the game when we could have had a lead."

Rodney Davis led the Wildcats with 21 points, while Zeke Wright was the only other player in double figures with 11 points.

Sophomore Steven Hott led Sacred Heart-Griffin (2-6) with 28 points.

SHG held a substantial advantage at the free throw line, attempting 24 to Trigg's six.

The 30-point loss is Trigg's worst of the year and their largest margin of defeat since a 95-54 loss to Cairo in the 2003 Marion Holiday Tournament.

It doesn't get any easier for Trigg County, whose record slips to 2-6.  The Wildcats will face a 9-1 Lake County, Tenn. team that beat Herrin, Ill. by double-digits in the tournament opener.   Trigg is 2-0 against Lake County in their previous meetings in the MHT.

Trigg County and Lake County play in the 5:30pm opener tonight.

Here is a preview of the tournament field from the Marion Daily Republican newspaper.

Music City Bowl countdown - Final 24 hours

As we reach the final day before the Music City Bowl, here is what is being written about the game by various media outlets around the mid-south....

• Rich Brooks says the Wildcats are all business while in the Music City (Lexington Herald-Leader)
• Kentucky, Clemson offenses feature contrasting styles (Associated Press)
• UK wide receiver David Jones is doubtful after injuring knee in practice (Lexington Herald-Leader)
• Healthy Little ready to go bowling (Louisville Courier-Journal)
• Clemson wants to finish strong (The Tennessean)
• Q & A with UK head coach Rich Brooks (The Tennessean)
• Q & A with Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden (The Tennessean)

Airtime Friday for the Music City Bowl begins at 9:30am on 106.5 WKDZ

Fort Campbell 61 Trigg County 36

Fort Campbell outscored Trigg County 20-4 in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 61-36 win in the first round of the McLean County RC Cola Classic Wednesday.

The Lady Falcons led 11-9 after one quarter and enjoyed a 27-18 advantage at halftime.  Still leading by nine (41-32) entering the fourth quarter, the Lady Wildcats endured a tough drought and could never draw closer.

"We played a good first half, but we sort of laid down in the fourth quarter and didn't play well," said Lady Wildcat assistant coach Matt Wilder.  "We looked a little sluggish coming off the long weekend."

Janada Acree led the Lady Wildcats with 17 points, while Laquisha Boyd added 13 points.  Melanie Want, Audrey Futrell, and Kalesha Williams each scored two points.

Valerie Mack scored 19 of her game-high 34 points in the second half for Fort Campbell, who improves to 2-4 on the season.

Fort Campbell will play McLean County tonight in the semifinals at 8:30pm.

Trigg County falls to 2-8 and will play Cannelton, Ind. tonight at 5:30pm.  It will be the first time Trigg County has played a team from Indiana.

In the other two first round games, Webster County beat Whitesville Trinity 62-56 and Breckinridge County beat Crittenden County 54-42.

Trigg runners named to All-Area teams

Several Trigg County cross country runners have been named to the Area 1 teams by the Kentucky Track and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Lynease Byers and Shakandace Malone were named to the Area One Middle School girls team.

Macey King was named to the Area One Elementary girls team, while Romaine Cunningham and Jayven Jones were named to the Area One Boys team. 

In addition, Cunningham was named the boys' elementary runner of the year for Area One.

Area One Middle School Teams

GIRLS

Kinsey Bailey - Marshall County

Kelsey Beach - Graves County

Lynease Byers - Trigg County

Zoe Dannenmueller - St. Mary

Kelsey Gray - Calloway County

Cynthia Maglasang - St. Mary

Shakandace Malone - Trigg County

Lauren Menser - Dawson Springs

Shelby Schafer - Lone Oak

Peyton Vaughn - St. Mary

Girls Coach of the Year - Chuck Gullo - St. Mary

Girls Runner of the Year - Kelsey Gray - Calloway County

BOYS

Mark Gallaher - Marshall County

Dylan Price - Graves County

Dayton Reed - Dawson Springs

Sam Sheffer - Union County

Steven Speed - Murray

Ryan Thurman - Calloway County

Blake Vaughn - St. Mary

Reed Vaughn - St. Mary

Zack Ward - Marshall County

Derek Willett - St. Mary

Boys Coach of the Year - Brookley Palmer - Marshall County

Boys Runner of the Year - Ryan Thurman - Calloway County

Area One Elementary School Teams

GIRLS

Peyton Carter - Graves County

Anna Denton - Ballard Memorial

Kelsie Donoho - Ballard Memorial

Elizabeth Gatten - Union County

Melissa Howard - St. Mary

Sarah Huddleson - Dawson Springs

Kelsey Jackson - Graves County

Macey King - Trigg County

Mary Kathryn Miller - Fulton City

Cyndie Wiggins - Ballard Memorial

Girls Coach of the Year - Kris Durfee - Ballard Memorial

Girls Runner of the Year - Cyndie Wiggins - Ballard Memorial

BOYS

Callen Aldridge - Fulton City

Colton Aldridge - Fulton City

Colton Chapple - Dawson Springs

Romaine Cunningham - Trigg County

Daniel Deneve - St. Mary

Harrison Dickens - St. Mary

Nick Gibson - Marshall County

Jayven Jones - Trigg County

Matthew Hasting - Fulton City

Devon Jackson - Fulton City

Coach of the Year - Pete Morgan - Fulton City

Runner of the Year - Romaine Cunningham - Trigg County

Trigg County in the Marion Holiday Tournament

Trigg County has a shot to even their record at .500 with a successful run at the Marion Holiday Tournament this week.

The Wildcats enter the tournament with a 2-5 record and will try and put an end to a two-game losing streak.

Trigg opens play tonight at 8:30pm against Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin.  The Cyclones enter tonight's game with a record of 1-6, getting their first win of the season in overtime Saturday.  The Wildcats will have to find a way to contain SHG sophomore Steve Hott, who scored 24 points in the Cyclone win Saturday.  Hott leads the Cyclones in scoring at 12.4 points a game, followed by senior Todd Lucas (9.0) and senior Mike Edwards (8.2).

Trigg is making their third appearance in the Marion Holiday Tournament and is 0-2 against the Cyclones, losing 76-69 in overtime in 2003 and 51-46 in 2004.

There will be no radio coverage of Trigg County in the Marion Holiday Tournament.

Trigg County vs. Fort Campbell

Trigg County will try and end a long streak of the post-Christmas tournament blahs when they open play in the McLean County RC Cola/Fast Fuel Classic tonight.

The Lady Wildcats enter the tournament with a 2-7 record and will try and snap a five-game losing streak.  Head coach Amy Breckel is looking to overcome the loss of sophomore guard Trinity Wortham, who is likely out of the year with a knee injury suffered last week.  Wortham was averaging 8.3 points a game before the injury.

Trigg County plays the final game of the first round against Fort Campbell, who is just 1-4 on the season.  The Lady Falcons have struggled to overcome injuries of their own, including senior guard Valerie Mack, who transferred from Alabama over the summer.  Fort Campbell's lone win came against University Heights earlier in the month.

Fort Campbell leads the all-time series with Trigg 28-21 and have won five of the last six meetings.

Also in the same bracket with Trigg and Fort Campbell is the host team, McLean County, and Cannelton, Ind.

McLean County beat Trigg 48-37 last week for their first win of the season.  The Lady Cougars are 1-8 on the season.

Cannelton, Ind. enters the tournament with a 1-9 record, with their only win over a 2-9 New Harmony team.  Cannelton was 2-20 last year.

Whitesville Trinity (4-2) was the runner-up in the tournament last year and will play Webster County (3-7) in the opener.  Webster County finished sixth in the tournament last year.

Crittenden County (1-6) will play Breckinridge County (1-6) in the other first round game.

With no dominant team or overwhelming favorite in the RC Classic field, the Lasy Wildcats can use the three-day event to get back on track and enter the new year on a high note.  They can also use the tournament to end a long drought when it comes to post-Christmas holiday tournaments.

Trigg County was 0-3 in the RC Cola Classic last year and have lost 12 straight post-Christmas holiday tournament games dating back to 1992.  Their last win was over South Hopkins in the Union County State Farm Classic.

There will be no radio coverage of the Lady Wildcats at the McLean County tourney.

Click here for the McLean County RC Cola Classic bracket

Click here for the updated Lady Wildcat stats 

All Bluegrasspreps.com Football Team

Continuing its tradition of leadership in Kentucky high school sports information, news and discussion, BluegrassPreps.com announces the fourth annual All-BluegrassPreps.com Football Team.

BluegrassPreps.com honors the state's top 36 players, starting with the best players at 12 offensive and 12 defensive positions. The All-BluegrassPreps.com team also recognizes 12 players whose versatility and all-around contributions on offense, defense and special teams embody the spirit of high school football, a feature that makes it unique among other honors.

Nominations were accepted by coaches, media, and the fans, with a panel of statewide football experts narrowing those nominations into the All-BGP Team.

In addition, Male running back Doug Beaumont was named the BluegrassPreps.com Player of the Year, while Bethlehem's Steve Hart was named Coach of the Year.

ALL BLUEGRASSPREPS.COM FOOTBALL TEAM

OFFENSE

QB - Nick Petrino, Trinity
RB - Victor Anderson, Saint Xavier
RB - Shawn Grim, Johnson Central
WR - Wes Caldwell, Lexington Catholic
WR - John Cole, Somerset
TE - Pete Sutton, Covington Catholic
OL - Brad Durham, Rockcastle County
OL - Stuart Hines, Bowling Green
OL - Billy Joe Murphy, Monroe County
OL - Corey O'Daniel, Saint Xavier
OL - Ben Schlosser, Highlands
K - Shane Popham, Covington Catholic

DEFENSE

DL - Zach Kiernan, Newport Central Catholic
DL - William Savoy, John Hardin
DL - Joe Scott, Central
LB - Ben Duvall, Apollo
LB - Sam Flynn, Covington Catholic
LB - Joe Gamsky, South Oldham
LB - Brent Slusher, Bell County
DB - Doug Beaumont, Male
DB - Joe Castaneda, Covington Catholic
DB - Antoinne Lightfoot, Henderson County
DB - Ben Revere, Lexington Catholic
P - Ryan Tydlacka, Trinity

ATHLETES

ATH - Kaelin Ammons, Franklin County
ATH - Brandon Brown, Covington Catholic
ATH - Kasey Clark, Russell
ATH - Casey Earls, Middlesboro
ATH - Avery Hibbitt, Bowling Green
ATH - Blake Johnson, Johnson Central
ATH - Chase Minnifield, Henry Clay
ATH - Vince Murray, Ryle
ATH - Keith Tandy, Christian County
ATH - Emanuel Taylor, Hopkinsville
ATH - Josh Williams, Male
ATH - Josh Wills, Russell

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Doug Beaumont, Male
COACH OF THE YEAR: Steve Hart, Bethlehem

How can the Titans make the playoffs?

What do the Titans need to do to get in the playoffs?

This week, the Titans need to beat New England.  Then, they need Pittsburgh to beat Cincinnati.  They also need San Francisco to beat Denver.  Then, they need Kansas City to beat Jacksonville.

If this happens, we may be witnessing the Music City Miracle - Part II.

Here are the other playoff possibilities from ESPN.com.

Marion Holiday Tournament Tournament pairings

Trigg County will begin play Wednesday night in the Marion Holiday Tournament at 8:30pm against Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin (Ill.).

The Wildcats will be making their third appearance in the round-robin tournament that guarantees the Wildcats five games in four days.

Here are the daily pairings --

Wednesday, December 27

5:30pm - Herrin (Ill.) vs. Lake County (Tenn.)

7pm - Marion (Ill.) vs. Union County (Ky.)

8:30pm - Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin (Ill.) vs. Trigg County

Thursday, December 28

5:30pm - Lake County vs. Trigg County

7pm - Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin vs. Marion

8:30pm - Herrin vs. Union County

Friday, December 29

5:30pm - Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin vs. Herrin

7pm - Trigg County vs. Marion

8:30pm - Union County vs. Lake County

Saturday, December 30

11am - Marion vs. Herrin

12:30pm - Trigg County vs. Union County

2pm - Lake County vs. Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin

6pm - Trigg County vs. Herrin

7:30pm - Union County vs. Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin

9pm - Marion vs. Lake County

Previews of the tournaments and the teams will be on the blog tomorrow.

McLean County RC Cola/Fast Fuel Lady Cougar Classic pairings

Trigg County will play in the McLean County RC Cola/Fast Fuel Classic for the second straight year.  And for the second straight year, Trigg County will play the last game (8:30pm) on the first night.

HERE is a tournament bracket with dates, times, and pairings

A complete preview of the tournament will be on the blog tomorrow.

Fulton County wins the 12 Games of Christmas

Fulton County surprised many by knocking off Metcalfe County 45-44 to win the Cadiz Record 12 Games of Christmas Tournament at Wildcat Gym Thursday.

Metcalfe County couldn't solve Fulton County's zone defense, holding the Lady Hornets to six two-point field goals and seven 3-point field goals.

Fulton County used an 11-1 run midway through the fourth quarter to take a 45-39 lead and held on to win despite not scoring a point the final 1:34 of the game, which featured five ties and 10 lead changes.

Sharika Smith led Fulton County (5-5) with 16 points and five steals.  Ellie Goodman added 8 points and 8 rebounds.

Metcalfe County (7-3) won every statistical category except rebounds, which they lost 32-24, and points.

Brandy Lee scored 15 points to lead the Lady Hornets.

Championship Game boxscore

Heath 58 University Heights 29 (Third Place) - Heath outscored UHA 34-13 in the second half as UHA hit just 5-of-23 shots in the second half.

Jamie Pritchett and Tish Tate each scored 13 points for Heath (7-2), who also got 8 points and 10 rebounds from Daria Kingsley.

UHA (4-4) was led by Elizabeth Bressler's 13 points.  Heath's bench outscored UHA's reserves 24-2.

Third Place game boxscore

Logan County 63 Murray 38 (Fifth Place) - Logan County broke this game wide open in the third quarter by outscoring Murray 23-6.

Murray had 34 free throws compared to just nine for Logan or they final margin would have been considerably larger.

Logan County (5-3), whose only loss in the tournament was to fellow Fourth Region foe Metcalfe County, got 15 points from Brittany Roark and 14 more from Lora Miller.

Murray (2-6) hit just 11-of-47 shots (23%) from the field and had 27 turnovers.  Stacey McClure led the Lady Tiger scoring with 12 points.

Fifth Place game boxscore

McLean County 48 Trigg County 37 (Seventh Place) - Just not a good three game stretch for the Lady Wildcats, who lost three games and another starting guard to injury.

McLean County took advantage of cold shooting from Trigg to outscore them 11-3 and take control of the game.  Trigg shot just 25% from the field and 47% from the free throw line.

Janada Acree led Trigg County (2-7) with 21 points and 15 rebounds, while Melanie Want added 11 points and 7 rebounds.

Trinity Wortham, Trigg's third leading scorer, injured her knee in Trigg's Wednesday loss to Murray and will likely miss the rest of the year after an MRI Thursday revealed a tear of the ACL.  The sophomore guard was averaging 8.3 points a game and had nine of Trigg's 12 three-point field goals this year.  She is the second Lady Wildcat guard lost for the season to an ACL tear.  Sophomore point guard Laykn Brooks was injured in the last soccer game of the season.

Trigg County returns to action next week in the McLean County RC Classic where they will play Fort Campbell in the first round.

Cinnamon Ashby led McLean County (1-8) with 19 points, while Emily Shocklee added 16 points and 7 rebounds.

Seventh Place game boxscore

Click here for the final bracket and scores

12 Games of Christmas notebook

We can close the book on another 12 Games of Christmas Tournament.  Afterwards, Cadiz Record sports editor Michael Stanley and myself compared notes and came up with a hypothetical All-Tournament Team.  There are no individual awards given, but if there were, here are the 12 players that would have made the all-tourney team.

Stacey McClure - Murray; Sharika Smith - Fulton County; Cinnamon Ashby - McLean County; Brittany Roark - Logan County; Jasmine Coleman - UHA; Janada Acree - Trigg County; Laquisha Boyd - Trigg County; Brandy Lee - Metcalfe County; Ellie Goodman - Fulton County; Natalie Bunch - Metcalfe County; Daria Kingsley - Heath; and Meagan Stephens - Metcalfe County.

Here are the individual statistical leaders

Here are the final standings and game superlatives

Here are the final team stats

Other observations from the 12 Games of Christmas...

• No team has repeated as back-to-back champions as Metcalfe County failed in their repeat bid this year.
• Every champion has won the tournament in their initial appearance.  Fulton County kept the streak alive this year.
• Of the six teams that were making repeat performances, only University Heights (fourth place) recorded a best-ever finish.
• Logan County was 2-1 in the tournament and finished fifth.  Because of the setup of an eight-team double-elimination tournament, UHA was 1-2 in the tournament and finished fourth, one spot ahead of Logan County.
• Fulton County's one-point win was only the third one-point margin in the tournament's six-year history and the closest in the championship game.
• Heath's 29-point win over UHA in the third place game was the first one to be decided by more than eight points.
• No fifth place game has been decided by fewer than 13 points.  Logan County won by 25 points over Murray.
• Trigg County falls to 9-8 in the history of the 12 Games of Christmas.   Fulton County is 3-0, Metcalfe County is 5-1, Heath is 4-1, Logan County is 2-1, Murray is 6-3, McLean County is 6-5, and UHA is 2-7.

The best pictures of 2006

Sports Illustrated has published the year's most interesting pictures, which include the good, the bad, and the ugly of 2006.

2007 Trigg County football schedule released

Trigg County's 2007 high school football schedule has been released, and it features some familiar faces the school hasn't played in a while.

Realignment meant Trigg County's district size has been dwindled to five teams -- the only five-team district in the new Class 2A setup.

The Wildcats will open the district portion of their schedule Sept. 14 at home against Murray before traveling to Reidland Sept. 21.  Trigg's bye week will be Sept. 28.

Trigg will host Heath Oct. 5 and play at Caldwell County Oct. 19 -- the first-ever October meeting between the two schools. 

Trigg County's six non-district games feature a mix of the old and new.

The Wildcats will open the season Saturday, Aug. 25 against Hopkinsville in a bowl game at the Stadium of Champions.  Christian County and Paducah Tilghman will meet in the other game.

Trigg County and Hopkinsville last met in the 1979 season opener, won by Hoptown 42-14.  Trigg has never beaten Hopkinsville in 16 career meetings.  The closest they came was a 6-6 tie in 1960.

The Wildcats will play Calloway County in the Wildcat Chevrolet Bowl on Friday, Aug. 31 at Perdue Field.  It will be Calloway's second appearance in Trigg's bowl game.  Hopkinsville and Marshall County will play in the other half of the doubleheader, which will be the seventh annual event hosted by TCHS.

Trigg travels to Hopkins County Central on Sept. 7 before playing three straight district games.

The Wildcats will host Christian County Oct. 12 (Ham Festival weekend) at Perdue Field.  Christian County leads the all-time series with Trigg 13-8-1.  The last time they played was the 1998 season opener, won by the Colonels 62-0 in Cadiz.  Trigg last beat Christian County in 1983.

Trigg's final two games will be against Fort Campbell Oct. 26 at Perdue Field and at Fulton County Nov. 2.

Fort Campbell will switch to District Two next year and joined the Wildcat schedule when a Clarksville school dropped the Falcons from their schedule.

Trigg last played Fulton County in 1998, losing 47-19.  Trigg is 4-7 lifetime against the Pilots.

Who the TCHS head coach will be in 2007 remains to be seen.  Curtis Higgins has not said publicly that he will return next year, saying at the end of this season that it is "to be determined."

The fact that Higgins' Cadiz home has a 'For Sale' sign in the front yard coupled with the naming of Doug Gloyd as interim athletic director for TCHS doesn't bode well for a return.  Higgins has served as assistant athletic director for the past six years but wasn't named as a replacement for Taylor Sparks, who announced his retirement as AD after 12 years earlier in the month.

TRIGG COUNTY 2007 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Aug. 25 vs. Hopkinsville (Hopkinsville Bowl Game)

Aug. 31 vs. Calloway County (Wildcat Chevrolet Bowl)

Sept. 7 at Hopkins County Central

Sept. 14 vs. Murray

Sept. 21 at Reidland

Sept. 28 OPEN

Oct. 5 vs. Heath

Oct. 12 vs. Christian County

Oct. 19 at Caldwell County

Oct. 26 vs. Fort Campbell

Nov. 2 at Fulton County

12 Games of Christmas - Day Two

The second day of the Cadiz Record 12 Games of Christmas featured two close games and a pair of blowouts.

Trigg County dropped their second straight game in the tourney 68-63 to Murray and will play McLean County in the seventh place game today at noon.

The Lady Wildcats had three players foul out and lost another one to injury and still had a chance to pull out the win.  Trigg had a chance for the win inside the final ten seconds but missed shot with contact led to a Murray rebound and foul, plus a technical foul on the Trigg bench for protesting the missed foul on the shot.

Laquisha Boyd led the Lady Wildcats with 27 points and 13 rebounds.  Janada Acree added 11 points and 19 rebounds before fouling out.  Trinity Wortham scored 16 points but left the game in the second half with an apparent knee injury.  Her status for today's game with McLean County is not known.

Stacey McClure led Murray with 28 points.  The difference in the game was the foul line.  Trigg was called for 13 more fouls than Murray, who went to the free throw line 46 times.  They hit 24.  Trigg was 11-of-21 at the charity stripe.

Trigg County/Murray boxscore

Logan County 49 McLean County 35 - This game was much closer than expected although the contest was never in doubt after the midway point of the second quarter.

Logan County scored 31 points off 31 McLean County turnovers and overcame a 6-of-17 performance from the free throw line.

Brittany Roark led Logan County with 19 points, while McLean County got 15 points and 9 rebounds from Cinnamon Ashby.

Logan County/McLean County boxscore

Fulton County 57 University Heights 51 (overtime) - For only the second time in the tournament's six-year history, a game went to overtime.

Fulton County outscored UHA 8-2 in the extra period and hit just enough free throws to advance to today's championship game.

Jasmine Coleman scored 21 points and pulled down ten rebounds for UHA, but fouled out inside the final minute of regulation.  Elizabeth Bressler added 13 points and nine boards, and Hadley Burns scored 8 points and grabbed 8 rebounds.

Sharika Smith and Ellie Goodman both scored 15 points for Fulton County, and Goodman added 11 rebounds.

UHA/Fulton County boxscore

Metcalfe County 62 Heath 32 - Metcalfe County hit 18-of-29 shots (62%) in the second half and ran away from Heath, outscoring the Lady Pirates 38-16 in the second half.

Metcalfe's pressure defense forced Heath into 22 turnovers that led to 22 Lady Hornet points.  Heath shot just 25-percent from the field.

Daria Kingsley led Heath with 17 points and 8 rebounds.

Metcalfe County got 17 points and 8 steals from Natalie Bunch, while Brandy Lee added 13 points.

Metcalfe County/Heath boxscore

Here is an Updated 12 Games of Christmas bracket

Today's 12 Games of Christmas Schedule

Noon - Trigg County (2-6) vs. McLean County (0-8) - Seventh place game

1:30pm - Logan County (4-3) vs. Murray (2-5) - Fifth place game

3pm - University Heights (4-3) vs. Heath (6-2) - Third place game

4:30pm - Fulton County (4-5) vs. Metcalfe County (7-2) - Championship Game

PAST CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

2005 - Metcalfe County 73 Trigg County 40

2004 - No official championship game due to weather

2003 - Murray 56 Trigg County 45

2002 - St. Mary 48 Carlisle County 43

2001 - Carlisle County 58 Dawson Springs 47

Is Curtis Pulley mulling a transfer from UK?

Former Hopkinsville standout and Mr. Football is frustrated with his role at Kentucky, and has apparently mulled the option of transferring to another school, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.

The news comes days after Hopkinsville's Ricky Abren was dismissed from the UK squad for a violation of team rules.

Trigg falls in 12 Games of Christmas opener

Trigg County fell in the opening game of the 12 Games of Christmas Tournament for the first time in the six-year history of the tourney.

Fulton County turned a 22-20 halftime lead into a 54-35 win by outscoring Trigg 15-4 in the third quarter and 17-11 in the fourth quarter.

The Lady Pilots (3-5) forced 36 turnovers and scored 27 points from those miscues.  They also helped Fulton County put up 28 more shots from the field.

Laquisha Boyd led Trigg County (2-5) with 15 points and seven rebounds.  Trinity Wortham added six points and 3 assists.

Sharika Smith led Fulton County with 17 points and seven steals.

Trigg County/Fulton County boxscore

University Heights 61 Murray 56 - UHA gradually pulled away from Murray to claim their first-ever first round win in the 12 Games of Christmas.

UHA hit 73-percent of their shots in the second half (11/15) and were 18-of-30 from the free throw line for the game.  Murray was 14-of-26.

Sara Allen led UHA (4-2) with 23 points, while Jasmine Coleman added 14 points and 16 rebounds.

Murray (1-5) got 19 points from Stacey McClure.

University Heights/Murray boxscore

Heath 53 McLean County 28 - McLean County didn't score in the first quarter, and Heath ran out to a 32-11 halftime lead in posting the 25-point win.

Heath (6-1), who is still unbeaten in two appearances in the 12 Games of Christmas, wsa led by Daria Kingsley's 14 points and 10 rebounds.

McLean County (0-7) got 14 points and eight rebounds from Cinnamon Ashby.

Heath/McLean County boxscore

Metcalfe County 63 Logan County 51 - Metcalfe County opened defense of their 12 Games of Christmas title with a 12-point win over fellow Fourth Region foe Logan County.

The Lady Hornets (6-2) scored 26 points off 30 Logan County turnovers and shot 49-percent from the field.

Tara Thompson led three Metcalfe County players in double figures with 15 points and eight rebounds.

Logan County (3-3) got 11 points from Brittany Roark.

Metcalfe County/Logan County boxscore

Tonight's games

4:30pm - Trigg County vs. Murray

6pm - Logan County vs. McLean County

7:30pm - Fulton County vs. University Heights

9pm - Metcalfe County vs. Heath

Updated Cadiz Record 12 Games of Christmas bracket

Caldwell County 76 Trigg County 60

Everyone expected a blowout, but Trigg County played with border rival Caldwell County before running out of gas in the fourth quarter and fell 76-60 Tuesday night in Princeton.

Caldwell led 35-34 but was able to pull away in the second half to end a three-game losing streak against the Wildcats.

Jonathon King led the Wildcats with 22 points, while Rodney Davis added 14 points and seven assists.  Ryan Eubanks also scored nine points.

Caldwell County was led by Matt Fraliex, who scored 26 points -- nine points under his average.  Jake Pepper added 19 points, and Coley Rogers scored 10 points.

Caldwell hit 19-of-24 from the free throw line, while Trigg was just 6-of-13.

Caldwell also won the JV game 45-35.

Trigg County falls to 2-5 with the loss and has the rest of the week off from the playing schedule.  They will return to action Dec. 27 in the Marion (Ill.) Round Robin.

Caldwell County improves to 6-1 and will play in the Old Racer Arena Shootout later this week in Murray.

Trigg County at Caldwell County

Whatever the problem is with the 2-4 Wildcats, they had better solve them quick before making the 22-mile trip up Kentucky 139 to play Caldwell County tonight.

The Wildcats are 2-4 and coming off a disappointing loss to Lyon County Friday that snapped Lyon's 35-game losing streak.  Right now, the Wildcats have an 'F' in chemistry, which has translated into their worst six-game start since 2001.

Caldwell County is 5-1 and led by Murray State University signee Matt Fraliex, who is averaging over 35 points a game.

Trigg has won three straight games against Caldwell County, but the Tigers lead the all-time series with Trigg 60-48, including a 28-21 record in Princeton.

Airtime tonight for Trigg and Caldwell is 7pm on 106.5 WKDZ

12 Games of Christmas Preview

Trigg County's sixth annual Christmas tournament gets underway today at Wildcat Gym.  There will be 12 games played over three days.

The tournament is one of the better small-school tournaments in this end of the state, with TCHS athletic director Taylor Sparks saying there is a waiting list for teams to get into the tourney.

Of the eight teams in the tournament, six have appeared before, including three teams that either won or shared a 12 Games championship.

Here's a look at the 12 Games of Christmas field:

Trigg County (2-4) vs. Fulton County (2-5), 4:15pm - Trigg County has never lost a first round game (5-0) in their own tournament, but will be facing their toughest test today.  Fulton County has wins over Murray and Fulton City but enter the game on a two-game losing streak.  The Lady Pilots average 41.1 points on offense and give up 47.8.  Fulton County is led by junior forward Ellie Goodman and junior guard Sharika Smith, a multiple state champion in track.  Like Trigg County, Fulton has been starting a freshman (Alex Barnett) at point guard.  The Lady Pilots are making their first-ever trip to the 12 Games of Christmas and their first trip to Cadiz.  It will be the first meeting between the two teams.

Trigg County has dropped two straight games since beating Crittenden County Dec. 8.  The Lady Wildcats are led senior Laquisha Boyd (14.8 ppg., 10.5 rpg.) and sophomore Janada Acree (9.0 ppg., 13.7 rpg.).  Trigg is averaging 46.8 points on offense and giving up 56.7 on defense.  The key will be how well Trigg (35.7 turnovers per game) handles Fulton County's press.  Trigg County is 9-5 all-time in their tournament and have never finished lower than third.  They have also never won their own tourney, finishing second twice (2003, 2005).

Fulton County schedule/results

Trigg County schedule/results

Murray (1-4) vs. University Heights (3-2), 5:45pm - Both teams are making their third appearance in the 12 Games of Christmas.  Murray won the title in 2003 and finished fifth last year.  They have a 5-1 record in those two years.  UHA has won just once in six games, finishing eighth in 2003 and seventh last year.  Murray is rebuilding with just two starters returning from last year.  One of those is 5-9 sophomore Stacey McClure, who averaged eight rebounds a game in their three games here last year.  UHA is led by junior forward Jasmine Coleman, who averaged 14.3 points and was the tournament's top rebounder last year with 11.7 a game. 

Murray schedule/results

University Heights schedule/results

Heath (5-1) vs. McLean County (0-6), 7:15pm - This was supposed to be the championship game two years ago but was never played.  Bad weather after the second day caused the final day of the tournament to be cancelled and both teams to be awarded a share of the title.  These teams are going in opposite directions this year.  Heath is off to a 5-1 start with just one senior on the roster -- guard Daria Kingsley.  Their only loss was to a 4-2 Mayfield team.  This will be Heath's second appearance in the 12 Games of Christmas.

McLean County is rebuilding after losing five starters from last year's 14-12 team.  Senior guard Emily Shocklee was usually the first player off the bench last year and was a part-time starter, while junior Cinnamon Ashby and senior Lindsey Slinker also saw plenty of court time last year.  McLean's roster has two seniors, a junior, and seven freshmen on it.  McLean is making their fourth straight appearance in the 12 Games of Christmas and have a 5-3 record.  They finished third last year, tied for the title in 2004, and were fourth in 2003.

Heath schedule/results

McLean County schedule/results

Metcalfe County (5-2) vs. Logan County (3-2), 8:45pm - Metcalfe County won the 12 Games of Christmas last year with no seniors on the roster.  The Lady Hornets were led last year by senior guard Natalie Bunch, who averaged 18.7 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.6 steals in the tournament last year.  Senior Brandy Lee, and juniors April McCoy and Megan Stephens also return for Metcalfe, who hit 21 three-pointers in the three games last year.  Metcalfe will be trying to become the first team to win a second 12 Games of Christmas title.

Logan County makes their first appearance in the 12 Games of Christmas and feature a nice inside-out attack led by senior guard Whitney Bell and sophomore center Brooke Dowlen.  Logan owns a pair of wins over Second Region teams Trigg County and Hopkinsville this year.  Metcalfe County beat Logan County  64-45 last year.

Logan County schedule/results

Metcalfe County schedule/results

A link to the tournament bracket is in the post below.

Admission to the tournament is $4, which gets you into all games.  Be sure to come out and support these teams and the Lady Wildcats.

Also be sure to check the blog for game-by-game recaps!

12 Games of Christmas bracket

Click on the link below for a bracket for The Cadiz Record 12 Games of Christmas Tournament this week at Wildcat Gym.

Click here for the bracket

Up to date Trigg County stats

Here are the updated basketball stats for both Trigg County teams.  Just click on the link to view the team you want.

Trigg County Wildcat stats

Trigg County Lady Wildcat stats

After further review...

Even though I don't attend every Trigg County basketball game, I still see every basketball game.

For the past ten years, I have watched just about every game either in person or on video tape so the stats from the game can be kept.

Over the weekend, I was able to get the stats from Trigg County's girls' 79-35 win over Providence from Dec. 4.

After checking the tape, it turns out the Lady Wildcats set a new school record for field goal attempts in a game. 

Trigg County put up 102 shots against the Lady Bulldogs -- hitting 34.  The old record was 89 field goal attempts against Fordsville in 1990 and St. Mary in 1994.

That's an average of 3.1 shots a minute or 25.5 shots a quarter.

Trigg's boys also had 102 shot attempts in a game against Owensboro Majesty in 1997.

Fifth District basketball standings

Fifth District Basketball Standings

GIRLS

Lyon County 3-0 (4-2 overall)

Livingston Central  2-1 (5-2 overall)

Trigg County 1-2 (2-4 overall)

Crittenden County 0-3 (1-6 overall)

BOYS

Crittenden County 2-1 (3-3 overall)

Livingston Central 2-1 (3-2 overall)

Lyon County 1-2 (1-5 overall)

Trigg County 1-2 (2-4 overall)

Lyon County 50 Trigg County 43

What can you say?  Lyon County snapped a 35-game losing streak dating back to 2004-05 with the 50-43 win over Trigg County Friday in Eddyville.

The 43 points was the fewest scored since a 43-41 loss to Caldwell County in 2005.  Lyon County outscored Trigg 17-5 in the fourth quarter, thanks mainly to Trigg's frigid shooting in the second half.

Trigg hit just 3-of-25 shots in the second half and didn't have one the final 5:17 of the game.  Lyon County hit 12-of-20 free throws in the second half, while Trigg hit just 6-of-12.

Trigg was also outrebounded 30-27, and Lyon's bench outscored Trigg's 22-4.

How's this for a close rivalry -- Trigg County and Lyon County have met 128 times since 1948.  Both teams have won 64 games.  In the 128 games, Lyon County has scored a total of just nine more points than Trigg County.

INDIVIDUAL STATS - TRIGG COUNTY

Rodney Davis - 21 points, 3 steals

Jonathon King - 12 points, 6 rebounds -- all in the first half.  Only played six minutes in the second half (Coach's decision)

Zack Wright - 4 points, 3 rebounds

Zeke Wright - 4 points, 7 rebounds

Ryan Eubanks - 2 points, 5 rebounds

INDIVIDUAL STATS - LYON COUNTY

Ramsey Walker - 15 points, 9 rebounds

Mitchell Peeler - 14 points, 9 rebounds

Michael Kinnis - 5 points

TEAM STATS

FG% - Trigg 29.2% Lyon 41%

3PT% - Trigg 10% Lyon 14.3%

FT% - Trigg 56.5% Lyon 65.4%

Rebounds - Trigg 27 Lyon 30

Assists - Trigg 4 Lyon 8

Steals - Trigg 9 Lyon 9

Turnovers - Trigg 17 Lyon 21

Click the link below for the game boxscore

Download trigg_lyon_boys.htm

Lyon County 59 Lyon County 37

Lyon County sits atop the district with a perfect 3-0 record after a 59-37 win over Trigg County Friday in Eddyville.  The Lady Lyons outscored Trigg 30-14 in the second and third quarters to seal the win.

Lyon scored 33 points off 38 turnovers, which proved to be the difference in the game.  Lyon used their quickness to get up and down the floor and score several early buckets in transition.

Trigg County hit 34-percent of their shots from the field but just 52-percent from the free throw line.

Trigg County is 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the district.

INDIVIDUAL STATS - TRIGG COUNTY

Laquisha Boyd - 15 points, five rebounds, three steals

Janada Acree - 9 points, 14 rebounds, 3 steals

Trinity Wortham - 6 points

Melanie Want - 6 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals

Dori Sheehan - 1 point, 1 rebound

INDIVIDUAL STATS - LYON COUNTY

Allison Mussato - 16 points, 9 rebounds

Hayley Parrent - 14 points, 6 steals, 5 rebounds

Olivia Akridge - 11 points, 7 assists

Abby McLeod - 10 points, 3 rebounds

TEAM STATS

FG% - Trigg 34.2%  Lyon 41.9%

FT% - Trigg 52.4%  Lyon 54.5%

Rebounds - Trigg 29 Lyon 28

Assists - Trigg 6 Lyon 12

Steals - Trigg 15 Lyon 20

Turnovers - Trigg 38 Lyon 23

Ever seen a seven-legged deer?

Have you ever seen a seven-legged deer?

Rick Lisko of Osceola, Wisconson did when he ran over one in his truck a few weeks ago. John Hoffman has processed over 1,000 deer this year and has done so for over 40 years and said he had never seen anything like it.

If only someone could find a seven-legged turkey...

All Kentucky New Era Team announced

The All Kentucky New Era Football Team was released Saturday.

ALL KNE OFFENSE

QB - Keith Tandy (Christian County)

RB - Emanuel Taylor (Hopkinsville)

RB - Rodney Bell (Caldwell County)

RB - Scotty Mayes (Trigg County)

WR - Cameron Williams (Caldwell County)

WR - Ramone White (Christian County)

WR - C.J. Trotter (Christian County)

WR - Antwain Loving (Hopkinsville)

TE - Chad Brown (Hopkinsville)

OL - Will Beville (Hopkinsville)

OL - Ben Koenig (Trigg County)

OL - Josh Carter (Fort Campbell)

OL - James Shepherd (Christian County)

OL - Zach Rinestine (Fort Campbell)

K - Alex Hayes (Hopkinsville)

ALL KNE DEFENSE

DL - Andrew Webster (Caldwell County)

DL - Robert Sholar (Trigg County)

DL - Josh McWherter (Fort Campbell)

DL - Martez Price (Christian County)

LB - John David Fourqurean (Trigg County)

LB - Keith Groves (Todd County)

LB - Cody Traylor (Caldwell County)

CB - Dexter Durrante (Fort Campbell)

CB - Chris McReynolds (Christian County)

S - Caleb Reynolds (Trigg County)

S - Dhayna Cavanaugh (Trigg County)

S - Chris Thomas (Hopkinsville)

P - Cole Davis (Trigg County)

Coach - David Barnes (Caldwell County)

Trigg County players receiving votes were Donald Bush, Brandon Bridges, Matt Wallace, Devin Herndon, Dustin Calhoun, Brian Overby, and Ryan Eubanks.

Curtis Higgins was the only other coach to get a vote for Coach of the Year.

Christian County takes 10th at the Super Duals

Christian County took tenth place at the Oldham County Super Duals over the weekend.

A complete recap of the weekend and who did what can be found at Bluegrasspreps.com.

Cats vs. Cards

Kentucky and Louisville square off in their annual battle today at Freedom Hall.  Lexington Herald Leader columnist John Clay offers his scouting report on the Cards, who are coming off a loss to UMass.

Airtime on WKDZ today is 11am.

Trigg County at Lyon County (boys)

Trigg County can move above .500 in the district tonight when they travel to Lyon County to face the Lyons as part of a boys/girls doubleheader in Eddyville.

The Wildcats are 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the district.  Lyon County is 0-5 on the season and 0-2 in the district.  The Lyons have lost 35 straight games dating back to the 2004-05 season.

Trigg County leads the all-time series with Lyon County 64-63 and have won 10 of the last 11 meetings.  A win tonight would be Trigg's third straight in Eddyville -- something Trigg hasn't done since 1975-78.  Trigg is 20-35 in games played in Eddyville.

While Lyon County is winless, they are much more competitive this year, losing to Crittenden County by 11 points and to Livingston Central by 13.  The Lyon County roster has no seniors on it.

Tipoff for the boys game is around 7:30pm, following the girls game.

Trigg County at Lyon County (girls)

Trigg County will try and put their 44-turnover performance behind them as they travel to Eddyville to play Lyon County tonight.

The Lady Wildcats can forge a three-way tie for first place with a win over the Lady Lyons, who are 3-2 overall and 2-0 in the district.

Trigg is 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the district.  They are looking to snap a seven-game losing streak to Lyon County.  Lyon leads the all-time series 46-32.

Trigg last beat Lyon County in Eddyville in 1996.

Airtime tonight on WKDZ 106.5 is 6pm.  The game can also be heard on the internet at WKDZradio.com.

Midcats to play for two titles tonight

Trigg County Middle School will be playing for a pair of championships tonight in the seventh grade basketball championships tonight in Burna.

The Lady Midcats beat Lyon County 16-10 Tuesday night and will play Livingston Central Middle tonight at 5:30.  Trigg is the #2 seed, while Livingston is the #1 seed.

In the boys’ game, Trigg County is the top seed and will play #2 seed Lyon County, who they beat by nine points and two points during the regular season.  Their championship game is slated for 7pm.

Both games will be played at Livingston Central Middle School, which is located on U.S. 60 in Burna, which is just east of Smithland.

Artose Pinner's big day

Former Hopkinsville and UK running back Artose Pinner had a big day Sunday, rushing for 129 yards and three TDs. This blurb from the Minneapolis Star Tribune says the people from Hoptown aren't surprised about his big day.

Livingston Central 73 Trigg County 40

Turnovers spelled doom for the Lady Wildcats as they fell to Livingston Central 73-40 at Wildcat Gym.  Livingston broke out to a 28-6 lead after one quarter.  Trigg cut the deficit to 14 points in the third quarter but could get no closer.

Trigg County committed a season-high 44 turnovers that led directly to 50 Livingston points.  Game over.

Livingston improved to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the district.  Trigg County slips to 2-3 and 1-1 in the district.

Trigg County plays at Lyon County Friday.

Trigg County stat leaders

Laquisha Boyd - 23 points, 11 rebounds

Janada Acree - 4 points, 14 rebounds, six steals, five blocks

Melanie Want - 5 points, six rebounds

Trinity Wortham - 2 points, 3 rebounds

Kalesha Williams - 1 point, 5 rebounds.

Livingston Central

Lauren Whetstone - 13 points, 12 steals, six assists

Kayla Shull - 12 points, 9 rebounds

Dannielle Joiner - 10 points, 7 rebounds, 6 steals

Team stats

FG shooting - Trigg 35%; LC 39%

FT shooting - Trigg 35%; LC 56%

Rebounds - Trigg 42: LC 38

Assists - Trigg 8; LC 19

Turnovers - Trigg 44: LC 24

Security says no to the Heisman

After Ohio State's Troy Smith won the Heisman Trophy over the weekend, he wasn't allowed to bring the trophy on the plane by airport security.

The university paid to have the trophy shipped to avoid damages.

Trigg County 69 Livingston Central 55

Trigg County trailed by two points at halftime but broke open a close game with a solid second half in downing Livingston Central 69-55.  Trigg avoided their first four-game losing streak in five years with the win.

Trigg trailed 32-30 at halftime but outscored Livingston 23-13 in the third quarter and 16-10 in the fourth quarter.  The Wildcats shot 57.7% from the field and 79% from the line in the second half.

Trigg County scored 28 points off 23 Livingston turnovers.

Livingston falls to 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the district.  Trigg improves to 2-4 overall and 1-1 in the district.

Trigg has won 13 straight games over Livingston Central.

Trigg County plays at Lyon County Friday.

Trigg stat leaders

Rodney Davis - 28 points, five assists, three steals

Joanthon King - 14 points, two steals

Ryan Eubanks - 12 points, 7 rebounds

Zeke Wright - 6 points, 2 rebounds

Dustin White - 5 points, 3 rebounds

Jalik Alexander - 4 points, 2 steals

Livingston Central

Jamie Martin - 15 points

Josh Wiggins - 14 points

Wes Lasher - 6 points, 9 rebounds

Team stats

FG% - Trigg  51%; LC 55%

FT% - Trigg 74%; LC 69%

Rebounds - Trigg 20; LC 27

Assists - Trigg 11; LC 9

Turnovers - Trigg 12; LC 23

Points off turnovers - Trigg 28; LC 9

Livingston Central at Trigg County (girls)

Trigg County hasn't won back-to-back district games since 2003, but they have a chance to tonight when Livingston Central comes to Wildcat Gym.

The Lady Wildcats (2-2) are coming off a district win over Crittenden County and could move to 2-0 in the district with a win over Livingston.

The Lady Cardinals are 3-2, with wins over Carlisle County (68-31), Community Christian (77-34), and Dawson Springs (64-40).  Their losses were to Hopkinsville (69-68 in overtime) and Lyon County (60-56).  Head coach Kris Simmons has four starters returning from last year's 9-18 team.

Livingston Central leads the all-time series with Trigg 39-35 and have won four straight over the Lady Wildcats.

Tipoff tonight at Wildcat Gym is 6pm, which is also the airtime on WKDZ 106.5 FM.

CourtTime Volleyball tryouts are Dec. 17

Any girl in 5th-12th grade that is interested in playing in "CourtTime Volleyball" needs to contact Rick Erickson at [email protected] for information. 

Practices and games will be played in Hopkinsville.  There will be 3-4 different levels of play -- instructional (5th-6th), developmental (7th-8th) and 1-2 high school leagues. 

This is an excellent experience for players just learning the game or trying to improve their skills.  Tryouts for the high school league are Sunday December 17th.

7th grade Fifth District Tourney begins tonight

The 7th grade Fifth District basketball tournament begins tonight at Livingston Central Middle School, which is in Burna and not Smithland.

Trigg County's boys are the top seed in the tournament and will play Crittenden County tonight at 7pm.  The Midcats swept a pair of games from Crittenden this year.

Lyon County (#2) and Livingston Central (#3) play tomorrow night at 7pm.  The boys championship game will be Thursday night at 7pm.

For the girls, action begins tonight at 5:30 as Livingston Central, the top seed, plays four seed Crittenden County.

Trigg County is the #2 seed and will play three seed Lyon County tomorrow night at 5:30.  The girls' title game will be Thursday night at 5:30.

Livingston Central Middle School is located on U.S. 60 in Burna.  You go to Smithland like you would for a game at the high school.  When you come into Smithland on KY 453, turn right on U.S. 60 at the stoplight instead of left. 

Answering questions

Someone asked me after Friday night's games with Crittenden County when the last time the Lady Wildcats won and the Wildcats lost on the same night.

It's not as far back as you would think.

Trigg traveled to Providence on Feb. 1, 2005, with the girls winning 62-24 and the boys losing 83-69.

The last time it happened in district play was Feb. 8, 2003 when the girls beat Crittenden County 70-43 and the boys lost to the Rockets 66-63.

The Lady Wildcat win over Crittenden County Friday snapped a 14-game regular season district losing streak.

Livingston Central at Trigg County (boys)

Trigg County (1-3) will try and avoid their first four-game losing streak in five years tonight when Livingston Central visits Wildcat Gym for a key district battle.

After opening the season with a win over Dawson Springs, the Wildcats have lost three straight games, including their district opener to Crittenden County Friday that snapped a nine-game regular season winning streak against district opponents.

Livingston Central is 2-1, owning wins over Community Christian (79-47) and Lyon County (61-48).  Their only loss was to Hopkinsville (63-42).  The Cardinals are coached by Jimmy Croft, who coached at Crittenden County for ten years.

Trigg County leads the all-time series with the Cardinals 57-49 and have won 12 straight games over Livingston dating back to 2001.  Trigg has also won six straight games over the Cardinals at Wildcat Gym.

Tipoff is 7:30.   

Airtime tonight on WKDZ 106.5 FM is around 7:30 after the girls game.

Trigg County scoring leaders

Rodney Davis 27.3 ppg.

Jonathon King 14.8 ppg.

Zack Wright 5.2 ppg.

Dustin White 4.7 ppg.

Justin Phillips 2.3 ppg.

Trigg County rebounding leaders

Jonathon King 7.2 rpg.

Eyan Eubanks 5.5 rpg.

Zack Wright 5.0 rpg.

Rodney Davis 3.7 rpg.

Dustin White 2.5 rpg.

Other key stats...

• Through four games, Trigg County has 26 assists and 61 turnovers.
• Trigg is averaging 30.8 rebounds a game, while allowing 37.3 a game.
• Trigg is shooting 32.8% from the field.  Their opponents are shooting 50.5%

AP All-State football team announced

The Associated Press All-State football team was announced over the weekend, with some local players recognized by the media members who cast a vote.  (Neither WKDZ nor the Cadiz Record are AP members and therefore, do not vote.)

First team selections from the area included Owensboro offensive lineman Paul Millay and Henderson County defensive back Antionne Lightfoot.

Second team selections included Hopkinsville running back Emanuel Taylor, Caldwell County receiver Cameron Williams, and Graves County offensive lineman Cody Widelski.

Third team selections included Christian County quarterback Keith Tandy, Caldwell County running back Rodney Bell, Christian County offensive lineman James Shepherd, Paducah Tilghman linebacker David Jones, Marshall County defensive back Brandon Walker, and Owensboro Catholic punter Stewart Ijames.

Players named honorable mention included Marshall County running back Alan Williams, Owensboro Catholic receivers Neil Holland and Nick Norcia.

No players from Trigg County were selected to the team.

A complete list of the Associated Press All-State football teams can be found here.

Wynn Harris coaching at Garrard County

Former Trigg County girls basketball coach Wynn Harris is the new head coach at Garrard County, where his Lady Lions are off to a 1-2 start.

Harris coached Trigg County for four seasons from 2000-04, compiling a 37-66 record.  Before coming to Trigg, Harris coached at Bardstown.

Harris quit after the 2003-04 season to spend time with his new family -- his wife and two children.  Last year, Harris spent half a year as assistant middle school principal before filing for reassignment, citing health concerns.

"This was my pick," Harris told the Danville Advocate-Messeger of coming to Garrard County. "When I looked around the state, there were not a lot of programs like Garrard. They were not at the level of other programs I had taken over. We're not rebuilding, this will just be retooling."

Harris will benefit from the return of three starters from last year's 16-10 team.

"The big word for us is patience," Harris told the newspaper.  "There is going to be a transition period, but in the end my system always works."

Lancaster is the county seat of Garrard County, which is located just west of Richmond and south of Lexington.