Scott Brown's SportsBytes on WKDZ

Logan County 41 Trigg County 39

Trigg County had a chance to get their first win of the season only to see it slip away in a 41-39 loss to Logan County Friday night at Wildcat Gym.

The key stat of the game was the Lady Wildcats' and their 4-of-17 performance at the free throw line, including 1-of-11 in the second half.

Trigg battled back all game and began the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run to take a 39-37 lead on a Dori Sheehan putback with 1:10 left.

Logan County answered with a bucket by Megan Williams with 0:56 left.  Trigg County tried to call a timeout, but it wasn't granted as Logan County's Sarah Speck stole the inbounds pass and was fouled.  She hit one of two free throws to give Logan a 40-39 lead and later added another for the final margin.

Freshman Brooke Kearney hit three 3-pointers and finished with nine points, while fellow freshman Elysia Brown added nine points and seven steals.

Logan County (1-0) was led by sophomore Sarah Speck's 15 points and 16 rebounds.

Trigg County also lost the JV game 29-20.

The Lady Wildcats return to action next Friday at Crittenden County to face the Lady Rockets, who lost to Lyon County 64-57 Friday night.

Click HERE for a game boxscore

Trigg County 61 Dawson Springs 57

Trigg County overcame a slow start to beat Dawson Springs 61-57 Thursday night in their 2007 season opener.

The Wildcats outscored Dawson 33-26 in the second and third quarters and hold to hold off a late Panther rally for their seventh straight win in a season opener.

Dawson Springs (0-2) jumped out to a 9-0 lead as Trigg went without a field goal for the first 3:20 of the game.  Trigg answered with an 11-3 run to get back into the game.

Dawson Springs led 15-14 after one quarter, but the Wildcats took a 33-29 lead into halftime when Jalik Alexander banked in a 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

Trigg built their lead to 10 points in the second half before a series of bad shots and poor passing allowed Dawson Springs to cut the lead to 58-56 with :38 left.

The Wildcats hit 3-of-4 free throws in the final half-minute to secure the win.

Jonathon King scored 14 of his 23 points in the first half, and Sheldon Burress scored 15 of his 20 in the second half to lead the Wildcats.  Alexander added seven points, and Brad Davis had four.

Aaron Duke led Dawson Springs with 19 points, while Ethan Scott, who scored 30 points Tuesday against Crittenden, was held to 14 points.

The win was Trigg County's 12th straight vs. Dawson Springs and their seventh straight at the Panther Pit.

Trigg returns to action Tuesday at Wildcat Gym against Caldwell County.

Caldwell's Barnes wins District Coach of the Year

Caldwell County head coach David Barnes was named the district coach of the year and Murray running back Jamie King was named district player of the year by the district coaches, according to the Kentucky Football Coaches Association.

It's the second straight year Barnes has been named district coach of the year.

Other Region One winners were:

1A - Dae'Ron Williams, Fulton City (Player); Wayne Lohaus, Fulton City (Coach)

2A - C.J. Croft, Fort Campbell (Player); Shawn Berner, Fort Campbell (Coach)

3A - Phillip Spencer, McLean County and Malik Curtley, Paducah Tilghman (Player); Perry Thomas, Paducah Tilghman (Coach)

4A - Corey Robinson, Lone Oak (Player); Jack Haskins, Lone Oak (Coach)

5A - Blake Roberts, Owensboro (Player); Joe Prince, Owensboro (Coach)

6A - Almondo Theus, Henderson County (Player); Marcus Kimbrell, Daviess County (Coach)

Eight Wildcats named All-WKC

Eight Trigg County Wildcats have been named to the Class 2A All Western Kentucky Conference Football team.  In addition, two Wildcats were named First Team All-WKC for all six classes and two more were named All-WKC for classes 1A-3A.

Offensive lineman Ben Koenig and defensive lineman Dustin Calhoun were named First Team All-WKC for all six classes.

Running back Brandon Bridges and defensive back Scotty Mayes were named to the All-WKC Team for Classes 1A-3A.

Named to the Class 2A All-WKC team were Calhoun, Koenig, Bridges, Mayes, quarterback Donald Bush, defensive back Devin Stewart, defensive ends Will Stagner, and defensive backs Antonio Grubbs, and Aaron Acree.

The players will be honored at the WKC Banquet next month, usually held at Murray State University.

ALL WESTERN KENTUCKY CONFERENCE TEAM -- ALL CLASSES

OFFENSE

WR —Jarred McCuiston, Mayfield

WR —Jamarielle Brown, Lone Oak

OL—Jeff Prescott, Lone Oak

OL—Brandon Sanford, Graves County

OL—Ethan Kemp, Mayfield

OL—Ben Koenig, Trigg County

C—Zach Rinesteine, Ft. Campbell

QB—Corey Robinson, Lone Oak

RB—Alan Williams, Marshall County

RB—Chad Wright, Heath

RB—Dae'Ron Williams, Fulton City

K—Tommy McNutt, Mayfield

DEFENSE

E—Corey Ray, Graves County

E—Levi Pruiett, Mayfield

DL—Jonathon Lawson, Mayfield

DL—Brandon Sanford, Graves County

DL—Dustin Calhoun, Trigg County

DL—Austin Pryor, Hopkins Central

LB—Issiah Holt, Paducah Tilghman

LB—Brent Simpkins, Mayfield

DB—Justin Towery, Graves County

DB—Bradley James, Paducah Tilghman

DB—Ramone White, Christian County

P—Tommy McNutt, Mayfield

COACH OF THE YEAR

Jack Haskins, Lone Oak

ALL WESTERN KENTUCKY CONFERENCE TEAM FOR CLASSES 1A THROUGH 3A

OFFENSE

WR—Jarred McCuiston, Mayfield

WR—Matt Tittle, Caldwell County

OL—Ethan Kemp, Mayfield

OL—Ben Koenig, Trigg County

OL—Ben Grimm, Reidland

OL—Kyle Proffitt, Caldwell County

C—Zach Rinesteine, Ft. Campbell

QB—C.J. Croft, Ft. Campbell

RB—Chad Wright, Heath

RB—Dae'Ron Williams, Fulton City

RB—Brandon Bridges, Trigg County

K—Tommy McNutt, Mayfield

DEFENSE

E—Levi Pruiett, Mayfield

E—Josh Carter, Ft. Campbell

DL—Jonathon Lawson, Mayfield

DL—Dustin Calhoun, Trigg County

DL—Kal Meece Wilson, Paducah Tilghman

DL—Dillan Clark, Crittenden County

LB—Issiah Holt, Paducah Tilghman

LB—Brent Simpkins, Mayfield

DB—Bradley James, Paducah Tilghman

DB—Scotty Mayes, Trigg County

DB—Dexter Durante, Ft. Campbell

P—Tommy McNutt, Mayfield

Caldwell coach Michael Fraelix suspended

Caldwell County High School has suspended boys' basketball coach Michael Fraelix for two weeks, meaning he will not coach the Tigers against Trigg County next week.

"We've had some concerns raised that needed to be investigated. The high school administration has investigated those concerns and appropriate action has been taken," Caldwell County Superintendent Carrell Boyd told the Princeton Times-Leader newspaper.

The suspension was for a minor code of conduct violation by Fraliex, the paper said.

The nature of the violation was not released.  However, given recent situations at Henderson County and Hopkinsville, one can deduce that it likely stems from vocabulary directed toward the team or players.

Former Henderson County football coach Duffer Duffy was suspended by the school for using profanity on a postgame radio show two years ago.

Former Hopkinsville baseball coach Scott Marks was suspended by the school when parents complained of language directed toward the players.  He was later terminated as coach.

I guess this is a new age we live in.  I can think of several high school coaches who have been on the sidelines in recent years that never would have coached a game because they would have been suspended every week for their language.

So it goes I guess.

Trigg County at Dawson Springs

The second Mike Wright era begins tonight as the Wildcats travel to Dawson Springs to play the Panthers.

Trigg County was 10-19 and won their third straight district title despite the poor record.  After Jeff Embrey left for the Lyon County job, Wright was hired for the job he held from 1992-2002.

Trigg's roster has no seniors and no one over 6-3.  How many players came over from the football team and how much they will contribute this week remains to be seen.

Wright did say you can expect Trigg to run, press, and shoot 3's -- much like his previous tenure.

Junior Jonathon King and sophomores Zeke Wright and Jalik Alexander are three starters returning from last year.

Dawson Springs was 5-21 last year and opened their 2007-08 season Tuesday with a 70-54 loss to Crittenden County.

Trigg County won the only meeting last year 84-65 in Cadiz and lead the all-time series 48-25.  Trigg has won 11 straight games against Dawson Springs dating back to 2000.

Airtime tonight on WKDZ-FM is 7:15pm with the pregame show.  Tip-off from the Panther Pit is 7:30pm.

Boys' Second Region Basketball Preview

The people at Bluegrasspreps.com have released their statewide basketball preview that includes every team in every region.

CLICK HERE to read up on the Second Region this year

Welcome to Lexington Dickie V.

Kentucky will have their hands full Saturday when they host top-ranked North Carolina at Rupp Arena.  The Wildcats are coming off a 10-point win over a college that sounds like a retirement village (Stony Brook).

Also coming to Rupp Arena is Dick Vitale.  Saturday's game is on ESPN2.  Remember when Dickie V. made those pointed comments toward Kentcuky fans following the departure of Tubby Smith to Minnesota?

I wonder if the Kentucky fans will remember Saturday?  Dickie V. may be approaching Billy Packer in "most hated TV announcers" category for the Wildcat faithful.

Dawson Springs 46 Trigg County 34

Dawson Springs held off a pair of Trigg County rallies and enjoyed a healthy advantage at the free throw line in claiming a 46-34 season opening win at Wildcat Gym Tuesday.

Down 12 in the second quarter, Trigg County cut the lead to five at halftime 22-17.   Dawson led 31-23 after three quarters and Trigg cut it to six once but couldn't get any closer.

Trigg started three freshmen in the backcourt and it showed at times as they committed 31 turnovers on the night.  However, their defense forced 29 turnovers from the Lady Panthers.

Dawson Springs shot 8-of-16 at the free throw line in both halves to finish 16-of-32.  Trigg was 3-of-7 at the line.

Janada Acree came off the bench to score seven points and grab seven rebounds, while Brooke Kearney and Morgan Parker also scored seven points each.

Casey Mills led Dawson Springs with 20 points and eight rebounds.

Trigg County returns to action Friday at home against Logan County.

Click here for a game boxscore

GAME BLOG: Trigg County vs. Dawson Springs

Although we didn't announce it, we are going to Game Blog tonight's Lady Wildcat season opener.  There will be no radio coverage.

PREGAME

• Trigg County beat Dawson Springs 33-24 in the JV game.
• Both teams are dressing 10 players tonight.
• Wildcat Gym features a newly shined floor and new black and white stage mats.  The mats look much better than the old gray mats from the Ray Maggard era.
• Trinity Wortham is in street clothes on the Trigg bench.  She could miss two weeks with an ankle injury.
• Janada Acree is not in the Trigg starting lineup.
• The side bleachers are filled nicely but there is maybe 12 people total in the permanent bleachers.
• Trigg County will start Keisha Stewart and Dori Sheehan at the forwards.  Three freshmen will start at guards -- Amanda Want, Elysia Brown, and Brooke Kearney.
• Pregame prediction: Chelsea Mills will score 55-percent of Dawson Springs' points tonight.  Yes, she is finally a senior.

FIRST HALF

• Chelsea Mills scores the first four of the game.
• Dawson Springs leads 10-3 after one quarter.  Mills has seven for Dawson Springs.  Trigg has
• Dawson Springs leads 7-1 with 4:50 left in the first quarter.
• Trigg is 1-of-4 from the field and has 13 turnovers.
• Trigg goes on a 7-0 run to end the half and make it 22-17 Dawson at half.

HALFTIME

• Janada Acree started the second quarter and scored five points and grabbed two rebounds.
• Trigg is shooting 7-of-17 from the field but has 17 turnovers.  Dawson has scored nine off the turnovers.
• Trigg is 2/5 at the line.  Dawson is 8/16.
• Mills has 12 of Dawson's 22 points.

SECOND HALF

• Chelsea Mills scored two points in the quarter, but Dawson leads 31-23 after three quarters.
• Trigg was 3/15 from the field in the quarter.
• Dawson is already in the bonus.
• Trigg looks tired and they trail 33-23 with 5:38 left in the game.
• 3:49 left and Dawson has this one in hand 39-25 despite 25 turnovers.
• Less than a minute left and Dawson leads 42-34.  Trigg County having trouble fouling and letting too much time run off the clock.
• Dawson Springs wins 46-34.  I'll have the wrap shortly.

Where will Kentucky go bowling?

Where will Kentucky go bowling?  What about the rest of the nation?  My money says Kentucky is headed back to Nashville to the Music City Bowl.  Why?  They practically filled the place up last year.  I would love to see a Kentucky/Florida State matchup.

Expect the Liberty Bowl to make a huge push for the 'Cats for that same reason.

Here are some more college bowl game predictions from around the nation:

ESPN.com says Kentucky is going to the Liberty or Independence Bowl

SI.com thinks like I do -- 'Cats to Nashville vs. the 'Noles

CBSsportsline.com sends the 'Cats to Nashville also

A look at the 2007-08 Trigg County Lady Wildcats

Trigg County begins their 2007-8 basketball season tonight at home against Dawson Springs.

The Lady Wildcats have some major holes to fill, but head coach Amy Breckel has a roster of eight freshman and three sophomores, meaning depth won't be a problem.  How good that depth is remains to be seen.

Trigg's main task will be to replace the 15 points and nine rebounds that graduated with Laquisha Boyd last year.  Also, several other contributors from last year won't be back.  Melanie Want (5.9 ppg.), Brooke Allen (3.2 ppg.), and Kelci Winn (1.1 ppg.) are not playing this year.

Audrey Futrell, last year's point guard who averaged 2.2 points and was second on the team in assists and steals likely won't play this year because of knee issues.

Now to the players who are back.

Junior Janada Acree showed flashes of breaking through last year after scoring 10.9 points and grabbing 12.2 rebounds a game.  Issues such as foul trouble and free throw shooting were magnified last year, but Acree should be one of the better inside players in the region this year.

Junior guard Trinity Wortham was averaging 8.3 points a game before tearing her ACL in the 12 Games of Christmas Tournament last December.  She has recovered, but Breckel said she sprained her ankle in practice late week and could miss two weeks.  When healthy, Wortham and Acree could form a nice inside-outside combo for the Lady Wildcats.

Junior Dori Sheehan (2.5ppg., 3.7 rpg.) was one of the most improved players on the team last year and should settle into the starting center role, allowing Acree to play forward.

Senior Kalesha Williams scored 1.8 points and grabbed four rebounds a game and should give Trigg a starting frontline that goes 5-11, 5-10, and 5-10.

Who will get them the basketball could be the biggest question of the season.

With Futrell out of the line up, freshman Elysia Brown looks to take over the point guard role.  She played in 14 games last year and scored 2.0 ppg. while showing a knack to take the ball to the basket.  However, her ratio of six assists to 29 turnovers will have to improve.

Junior Abigail Torian is playing her first season of basketball after being one of the top soccer players and a track standout.

While the learning curve may take a while on offense, she brings speed and quickness to the defensive side of the ball.

Freshmen Brooke Kearney and Amanda Want will also see time in the backcourt.  Kearney averaged three points  a game after being called up from the middle school late in the season.  Both she and Wortham can knock down the outside shot against a zone.

Want could be able to run the point if Brown gets in foul trouble.  Want averaged two points and a rebound and had a 1:1 turnover to assist ratio in spot action last year.

Sophomores Keisha Stewart and Annie Woods along with freshmen Morgan Parker and Kristian Wortham give the Lady Wildcats some depth and experience on the front line.

Click here for the 2007-08 Trigg County Lady Wildcat roster

Breckel's roster has 17 players, 11 of which are sophomores and freshmen. 

CLICK HERE for the 2007-08 Trigg County Lady Wildcat basketball schedule

The high school basketball season begins tonight

Hard to believe, but the high school basketball season begins tonight.

You can find the local basketball schedules online by going to the sports page at www.wkdzradio.com and www.oldies1480.com.

For a statewide schedule,

CLICK HERE FOR THE KHSAA/WKDZ BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

CLICK HERE FOR THE KHSAA/WKDZ GIRLS BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Basketball previews are out

With the start of the high school basketball season beginning Monday, several area newspapers have continued the tradition of their preseason basketball previews.

As usual, the Todd Griffin and the Princeton-Times Leader did their normal good job with the preview on Caldwell County and Lyon County. 

Joe Wilson and Alex Byington released their basketball preview in Friday's Kentucky New Era.  The cover features University Heights players Scotty Hopson and Tyshawn Edmonson and new Blazers' head coach Randy McCoy.  Their preview was a good one as well.

The Paducah Sun released their preview last week as well, with a Fifth District preview and team by team capsules.  Lyon County (boys) and Livingston Central (girls) were their picks as the preseason favorites.

If you're wanting a preseason look at Trigg County, you can try and locate either a New Era or Paducah Sun.

As far as online previews go, both the Lexington Herald-Leader and Louisville Courier-Journal have released their previews.  Lots of good information in there statewide.

Metcalfe County 47 Trigg County 13

Trigg County's season came to an end with a 47-13 loss to Metcalfe County in the Class 2A Region I championship Friday at Perdue Field.

Trigg County's season ends with a record of 9-4.

I'll have more details later.

Metcalfe County at Trigg County

Trigg County hosts Metcalfe County tonight at Perdue Field with the Region I championship on the line.

The Wildcats are 9-3 following last week's 23-13 win over Heath for the district title.

Metcalfe County is 10-2, having beaten Glasgow and Green County on the road for their district title.

Here are some more news and notes about tonight's game:

• Tonight is the first meeting between the schools in football.
• Trigg County has played in five previous region championship games.  They won region titles in 1971, 1972, and 1989.  They lost games in 2001 and 2006.
• Metcalfe County has never won a region championship.
• The Hornets will be making their fourth region championship appearance in the past five seasons -- all coming in Class 1A.  Metcalfe lost to Mayfield 28-12 last year.  In 2005, they traveled to Mayfield and lost 34-0.  In 2003, they traveled again to Mayfield and lost 14-7.
• Entering tonight, both schools are 47-14 over the past five seasons.
• Over the past 10 seasons, Metcalfe County is 60-52.  Trigg County is 79-39.
• Trigg County has a career playoff record of 21-15.  Metcalfe County is 8-7.
• Daniel DeLeon (5-10, 175, Jr.) leads the Hornets in rushing with 967 yards and 16 touchdowns in nine games.  DeLeon, who missed the first three games with an elbow injury, averages 8.7 yards a carry.
• Jeffrey White (5-11, 165, Sr.) is second on the team in rushing with 590 yards and nine touchdowns and is second in receiving with 31 catches for 477 yards and eight touchdowns.  He averages 15.3 yards a catch.
• Quarterback Will Warf (6-3, 210, Sr.) has completed 119-of-202 passes (59%) for 1,707 yards.  He has thrown 21 touchdowns and just three interceptions.  He also plays linebacker on defense where he has picked off four passes and recovered three fumbles.
• Aaron Miller (5-10, 145, Sr.) has intercepted a school-record nine passes for Metcalfe County.  He and Warf have returned two picks for touchdowns this year.
• Metcalfe County averages 211 pounds across the offensive line.  Trigg County averages 260 pounds across the offensive line.
• Metcalfe County averages 38.1 points on offense and only allows 9.8 points on defense.  They have four shutouts.
• Trigg County averages 33.7 points of offense and allows 23.8 on defense.
• Metcalfe averages 195.5 rushing yards and 145.5 yards passing a game on offense.
• Trigg County's defense allows 164.2 rushing yards and 107 passing yards a game.
• Trigg County's offense averages 226.5 yards rushing and 98.2 yards passing a game.
• Metcalfe County's defense allows 90.7 yards rushing and 93.2 passing yards a game.
• Brandon Bridges leads the Wildcats in rushing with 1,034 yards and 11 touchdowns, while Scotty Mayes has rushed for 986 yards and 13 touchdowns.
• Donald Bush has completed 89-of-164 passes for 1,186 yards, 16 touchdowns and three interceptions.
• Mayes leads the Wildcats in catches with 19 for 266 yards and five scores.
• Devin Stewart leads Trigg County in interceptions with six, two of which were returned for touchdowns.
• The winner of this game will host the winner of the Fort Campbell/Bardstown game.

Airtime tonight on WKDZ 106.5 FM is 6:20pm with the Tailgate Show with Bill Booth.  High School Football GameNight begins at 6:45pm.  Kickoff is at 7:30pm.

6th grade basketball champs

Earlier in the week, we told you about the Trigg County 6th grade basketball team that won the tournament in Mayfield.  Here is the picture of the team.  Players are Cole Gardner, Kullen Gardner, Luke McKenzie, Nic Choate, Brien Dossett, Corbin Estes, Clark Adams, and Tyler Estes.

More Metcalfe County

Metcalfe County's Larry Harbison has been the Hornets' head coach for over 20 years and is looking to guide his team to the school's first-ever region title.

CLICK HERE to read his comments about the Wildcats in Wednesday's Glasgow Daily Times.

CLICK HERE to see Metcalfe County's schedule and results

Metcalfe County favored over Trigg

Despite being a #3 seed and playing on the road, Metcalfe County is the consensus favorite to beat Trigg County Friday night for the region championship.

The Courier-Journal Litkenhous Ratings say Metcalfe is a 16-point favorite

The Massey Ratings predict Metcalfe to win 32-18

Calpreps.com says Metcalfe County will win 31-21.

Metcalfe County: Game by Game

Metcalfe County comes into Perdue Field with a 10-2 record, looking for the school's first-ever region football title.  Here is how they fared week to week:

• Week One - Metcalfe County 26 Barren County 17 - Quarterback Will Warf engineered a late drive that sealed the win for the Hornets.  Warf was 6-of-15 passing for 80 yards and a touchdown.  He also returned an interception for a score.  Jeffrey White, playing running back for the injured Daniel DeLeon, ran for 69 yards on 12 carries.
• Week Two - Metcalfe County 14 Somerset 7 - The Hornets' defense held Somerset to under 30 points for the only time this year.  Warf threw for 136 yards, and White ran for 85 yards on 19 carries.  Metcalfe's David Coffey knocked down a goal line pass as time expired to give the Hornets their first-ever win over Somerset, who got 200 yards passing from Chase Hall.
• Week Three - Metcalfe County 48 Logan County 7 - The Metcalfe 'D' forced nine turnovers -- four fumbles and five interceptions -- in picking up the easy win.  Warf threw for 152 yards, and White ran for 120 yards and returned an interception for a score.
• Week Four - Metcalfe County 47 Edmsonson County 0 - Metcalfe County begins the first of three consecutive shutouts in posting the easy win over the Wildcats.
• Week Five - Metcalfe County 36 Monroe County 0 - The Hornets open district play with an easy win over Monroe County.  Warf threw for 114 yards, and Daniel DeLeon played for the first time since suffering an elbow injury in the season opener.  He ran for 70 yards on nine carries.
• Week Six - Metcalfe County 48 Hart County 0 - Metcalfe's defense forced six turnovers -- three interceptions and three fumbles -- in getting their third straight shutout.  DeLeon carried 13 times for 141 yards and two scores, while Warf had six tackles and two fumble recoveries on defense.
• Week Seven - Green County 32 Metcalfe County 24 - Green County handed Metcalfe their first loss of the season with the eight-point win in Greensburg.  The Dragons scored a touchdown late in the third quarter to seal the win.  Metcalfe missed four extra point kicks in the game.  Will Warf threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns, with Jeffrey White catching five passes for 124 yards and a score.  Green County scored on touchdown runs of 31, 49, and 43 yards and a 52-yard touchdown pass.  Curtis Asbell had 19 tackles for Metcalfe in the game
• Week Eight - Glasgow 21 Metcalfe County 14 - The Hornets suffered their second straight loss and was relegated to a three-seed in the playoffs.  Glasgow used a balanced attack and took advantage of a late Metcalfe fumble to score the winning touchdown.  Warf threw for 173 yards, while DeLeon ran for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
• Week Nine - Metcalfe County 52 Caverna 0 - Needing to take their frustrations out on someone, Caverna obliged, becoming the fourth shutout victim of the Hornets in nine games.  DeLeon rushed for 144 yards and three touchdowns on just nine carries as the Hornets scored 33 points in the first quarter.  Warf was a perfect 9-for-9 passing for 142 yards and three scores.
• Week Ten - Metcalfe County 66 Adair County 7 - Metcalfe scored 40 points in the first quarter and scored on several big plays.  The Hornets returned a punt and two interceptions for touchdowns and forced five Adair turnovers.  Warf threw for 188 yards and four touchdowns, and DeLeon ran for 128 yards and two scores.
• Playoffs Week One - Metcalfe County 42 Glasgow 13 - Metcalfe avenged an earlier season loss to Glasgow, holding them to minus-24 yards of offense through three quarters.  Jeffrey White caught seven passes for 54 yards and three touchdowns, while five of Warf's 11 completions were for touchdowns.
• Playoffs Week Two - Metcalfe County 41 Green County 14 - Green County turned the football over six times as Metcalfe claimed the district title.  Warf completed 12-of-18 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns.  DeLeon ran 19 times for 209 yards and three touchdowns.  Warf and David Coffey each had 12 tackles on defense.

Thanksgiving practice open to the public

For the first time since 1989, Trigg County is practicing football on Thanksgiving Day.  At programs across the state such as Mayfield, Bowling Green, Danville, Trinity, etc., turkey day practice has become second nature and allows alumni and former players a chance to meet up and discuss football.

Trigg head coach Shannon Burcham is encouraging the same thing for the Wildcats.  After a team breakfast Thursday morning, Burcham invites the public to the team's Thanksgiving Day practice at 8:45am.  The practice will last between 1-2 hours.

"We would love to have everyone that wants to come out and support the team to be there," Burcham said.

The Wildcats are preparing for their regional title clash Friday with Metcalfe County at Perdue Field.

Lady Midcats split with Livingston Central

Trigg County split a girls' middle school doubleheader with Livingston Central Monday, with the 7th grade team winning 34-26, while the 8th grade lost 43-23.

In the 7th grade game, Khadijah Grubbs led the way with 17 points, while Allison Greene, Karli Bush, and Kelli Acree each had four points.

In the 8th grade game, Grubbs again led the scoring with 9 points, while Alyssa Maxey scored six, and Sierra Bush, Katie Davis, and Karli Bush each scored two points.

Trigg County returns to action next Tuesday at Livingston Central.

Swim team opens season at Hopkinsville

Trigg County opened their 2007 swim season at Hopkinsville, finishing ninth at the Rick Cohn Invitational Saturday.

Here are where the Trigg swimmers finished:

• John Reinick took fourth place in the 100-yard breaststroke in a time of 1:14.36, which was seven seconds behind the winner, Kyle Gillenwater of Allen County-Scottsville.  Reinick also finished 10th in the 200-yard freestyle in a time of 2:29.66.
• Girls 200 meter medley relay team of Gillian Rogers, Codie Flood, Courtney Harrison, and Ashley Wiegand finished 8th in 2:40.15.  The same four finished ninth in the 200-yard freestyle relay in a time of 2:16.95
• Boys 200 medley relay team of Garrett Clark, Lev Lewis, Chris Jenkins, and John Reinick finished fifth in a time of 2:12.74, which was 11 second behind the winner, Bowling Green.  The same tandem finished sixth in the 200-yard freestyle relay in 1:55.36.
• Ashley Wiegand finished 13th in the 100-yard breaststroke in a time of 1:32.80 and was 19th in the 200-yard freestyle in a time of 3:01.07
• Chris Jenkins took eighth in the 200-yard IM in a time of 2:59.90.
• Gillian Rogers was 27th in the 50-yard freestyle in a time of 35.15.
• Codie Flood was 26th in the 100-yard backstroke in a time of 1:46.38 and was 36th in the 50-yard freestyle in a time of 38.28.
• Erin Reinick was 46th in the 50-yard freestyle in a time of 43.83.
• Lev Lewis was 15th in the boys' 50-yard free style in a time of 29.71.
• Courtney Harrison was 11th in 100-yard freestyle in a time of 1:13.09 and 19th in the 100-yard backstroke in 1:31.49.
• Garrett Clark was 14th in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 1:31.83.

Trigg County returns to the water Nov. 27 at Hopkinsville.

Trigg's Koenig named to Paducah Sun All-Star team

Trigg County lineman Ben Koenig (seen at right blocking for Brandon Bridges) was selected to the Paducah Sun's first 24-man all-star football team, that includes schools from Kentucky and Illinois in the Sun's coverage area.

Koenig, a 6-4, 305-pound senior, was chosen to the offensive line for the team.  Other offensive players selected included Lone Oak's record-setting quarterback Corey Robinson and Heath running back Chad Wright.  Also picked were Marshall County running back Alan Williams, receivers Jamarielle Brown of Lone Oak and David Rogers and Byron Bailey of Massac County, Ill.; linemen Micah Northcutt of Marshall County, Grant Williams of Calloway County, and Graves County teammates Brannon Sanford and Jonathon Harms.  The kicker is Mayfield's Tommy McNutt.

The defensive team consists of linemen Levi Pruiett of Mayfield, Clint Fulks of Marshall County, Drey Duncan of Elizabethtown, and Ben Grimm of Reidland; linebackers Brent Simpkins of Mayfield, Tyrell Willis of Calloway County, and Isaiah Holt of Paducah Tilghman; defensive backs Dae-Ron Williams of Fulton City, Brandon Walker of Marshall County, Justin Towery of Graves County, and Bradley James of Paducah Tilghman; and Graves County punter Ely Collins.

The team was announced in today's Paducah Sun.

(photo by Monty Stagner photography)

Trigg volleyball team honored at banquet

Members of the Trigg County Lady Wildcat volleyball team were honored at their annual awards banquet Nov. 3 at the TCHS cafeteria.

The 2007 Trigg County volleyball team was recognized at their annual postseason awards banquet at the school.

Awards went to:

Casey Alexander- Freshman Most Improved

Amber Morris- JV Most Improved

Courtney Oliver & Kassy Davis - JV Wildcat Award (coaches award)

Kalesha Williams- Most kills (112), Most Blocks (109), Most Aces (73)

Casey Banister- Most Assists (188)

Morgan Parker- Varsity Most Improved

Molly Thompson- Best Passing % (.744), Julia King Award (coaches award)

Trigg County finished the season with a record of 11-23, which was a three-win improvement from last year.

The Lady Wildcats are coached by Rick Erickson.

Trigg's sixth grade all-stars win hoops tournament

Trigg County's sixth grade basketball team won their tournament over the weekend in Mayfield.  The latest finish is part of a recent run of success that has seen the team finish second at a tournament in Lone Oak and third at a tournament in Evansville.

Team members are Cole Gardner, Kullen Gardner, Luke McKenzie, Nic Choate, Brien Dossett, Corbin Estes, Clark Adams, and Tyler Estes.

Courier-Journal releases high school basketball preview

The Louisville Courier-Journal has released their high school basketball preview for the state, and the coaches predict University Heights (boys) and Henderson County (girls) will win the Second Region title.

Trigg County is not ranked in the top 10 teams in neither the boys nor the girls region poll.  However, Jonathon King is listed as one of the top 10 boys' players in the region.

Here is the C-J rankings for the boys and girls:

BOYS

Teams – 1. University Heights, 2. Madisonville-North Hopkins, 3. Christian County, 4. Hopkinsville, 5. Henderson County, 6. Hopkins County Central, 7. Webster County, 8. Caldwell County, 9. Fort Campbell, 10. Lyon County.
Players – 1. Scotty Hopson (University Heights), 2. Jonathan Hood (Madisonville-North Hopkins), 3. Darnell Moore (Madisonville-North Hopkins), 4. Shaquille Wilson (Christian County), 5. Tyshawn Edmondson (University Heights), 6. Josh Terry (Henderson County), 7. Jonathan King (Trigg County), 8. Dan Croft (Hopkins County Central), 9. Darnell Davis (Hopkinsville), 10. Corey Wilford (Christian County).

GIRLS

Teams – 1. Henderson County, 2. Christian County, 3. Madisonville-North Hopkins, 4. Livingston Central, 5. Caldwell County, 6. Hopkins County Central, 7. Webster County, 8. Union County, 9. Lyon County, 10. Dawson Springs.
Players – 1. Rinesha Soaper (Henderson County), 2. Kari Jo Harris (Hopkins County Central), 3. Rikiah Gatlin (Christian County), 4. Shatera Lewis (Christian County), 5. Alyse Poindexter (Henderson County), 6. Chelsea Mills (Dawson Springs), 7. Whitney Bingemer (Henderson County), 8. Tierra Jackson (Madisonville-North Hopkins), 9. Denisha Mumford (Christian County), 10. Shana McCombs (Christian County).

In the First Region, Calloway County, coached by former Trigg County player and assistant coach Scott Sivills, is picked to repeat as girls' region champs.

You can look at the C-J Preseason Basketball Preview by CLICKING HERE

Tyler Mitchell signs national letter of intent to play golf at Charlotte

Tyler Mitchell (center) signs a national letter of intent to play golf at the University of Charlotte.  The ceremoney was held at midfield during halftime of Trigg County's playoff football game with Heath.  Mitchell is the first Trigg golfer to sign to play at a Division-I school.  Also pictured is TCHS golf coach Jim Garnett, Tyler's father Butch Mitchell, TCHS athletic director Doug Gloyd, and TCHS principal Neal Cummins.  (photo by Monty Stagner).

Tyler Mitchell signed a national letter of intent to play golf at the University of Charlotte, becoming the first Trigg County golfer to sign to play at a Division I University.

Mitchell wrapped up his senior season at TCHS with a third place finish in the Region I Golf Tournament, losing the chance to qualify for the state meet on a tie-breaker.

The TCHS senior has played in several prestigious golf tournaments over the years, including the U.S. Junior Amateur Tournament in Missouri over the summer.

Other schools showing interest in Tyler included Kentucky, Memphis, and Murray State.

Charlotte is the number one team in Division I college golf, having won all four match play tournaments they have appeared in this year.  It's the first time a 49er sports program has been ranked number one in the nation.

Mitchell becomes the second Trigg County boys' golfer to play at the college level in recent years, joining former Wildcat teammate Bradley Sutherland, who is at Transylvania.

Comment on the Marshall County golf appeal

From time to time, people submit comments to posts that appear on the blog.  They are encouraged and can be viewed under the post and on the right menu.

Justin McGill, former sports editor of the Cadiz Record who now works with the Benton Tribune Courier, sent this comment about the KHSAA decision earlier this week to give Marshall County the state championship trophy back after they had been stripped of the title for using an ineligible player.

I figure SportsBytes readers can't get any better information on this situation than from a Trigg Countian transplanted to Marshall County, so here's how this whole thing looked from my point of view.

In May, a junior golfer transfered from a school in Florida to MCHS. This golfer did not compete in any school sports as a sophomore, simply because his previous school did not offer any sports. He played at another school his freshman year, and that team won the Florida golf championship in its class that season, but KHSAA rules state a transfer is eligible if he/she didn't play at the sending school the season before the transfer, so there's where the appeal came in. And there was absolutely no question that his transfer was legitimate - his mother was from here and moved home a year earlier with her daughter, and the son joined them this year. There was considerable confusion and miscommunication between the school and KHSAA concerning the paperwork in question - were they supposed to send in the form or not? On the form itself, the school is directed NOT to send it to KHSAA if the student meets the transfer requirements, which was the case in this instance.

Face to face, at least one administrator was told by a KHSAA official that everything was in order for this student - so says the administrator, at least. In the end, MCHS administrators had to take the fall for some of this, and that's how it all shook out after the appeal. It's how it should have happened in the first place - none of those student-athletes did anything wrong, and to punish them for what amounted to an administrative error (and it was a borderline error, in my opinion) was simply wrong.

That's my take.

JUSTIN MCGILL

Thanks Justin, and I agree with the last paragraph of his comment.  The school and not the players should be held accountable for the mistake.  Of course, the KHSAA does not have a great track record when it comes to consistency.  If I recall, it was the players who suffered in 2002 when Trigg County was declared to have played too many games -- an administrative error it was called at the time -- and their postseason was cancelled. 

I have no beef with Marshall County.  The golfers got the job done at the region level and at the state level.  The kid was deemed eligible to play when the season began and the KHSAA should have stuck to their guns instead of rescinding the title.

But had the vote went against the Marshals, they would not have been the first team to suffer because of an administrative error.  And that's where the problem lies.

As always, your comments and e-mails are welcome either by clicking on the comment link or sending them to [email protected].

Metcalfe County beats Green County

Metcalfe County took advantage of six Green County turnovers to beat the Dragons 41-14 to claim their third straight district title.

CLICK HERE for a game recap from the Glasgow Daily Times to learn more about the Hornets.

Trigg and Metcalfe will meet Friday for the regional championship.  The winner plays the winner of Friday's Fort Campbell/Bardstown contest.

Trigg County and Metcalfe County have never met on the football field.  Metcalfe County has never won a region title, while Trigg County's last region championship came in 1989.

Trigg County 23 Heath 13

Just as they did in their regular season game, Trigg County held Heath scoreless in the second half and won their second straight district title, winning 23-13 at Perdue Field Friday.

Trigg County is now 9-3 and will host Metcalfe County Friday at Perdue Field for the region championship.  Metcalfe County (10-2) beat previously unbeaten Green County 41-14 for the right to make the trip down U.S. 68 to Cadiz.

GAME BOXSCORE

Heath       7  6  0   0  --  13

TRIGG      0  3  14  6  --  23

                                    TC            Heath

First Downs                    11              14
Rushing                       41-196       39-152
Passing                        4-13-2        4-15-2
Passing Yards                 26              129
Total Yards                   224              281
Total Plays                     54               54
Turnovers                       3                 3
Penalties                      7-53             7-47
Time of Possession       25:53          22:37
3rd Down Conv.              4/12           5/12
4th Down Conv.               1/1            1/3

SCORING PLAYS

Heath - Josh Riley 31 yard pass from Tyler Simons (Andy Stevens kick), 4:06, 1st
TRIGG - John Reinick 25-yard field goal, 11:03, 2nd
Heath - Simons 1-yard run (Kick failed), 7:07, 2nd
TRIGG - Donald Bush 9-yard run (Reinick kick), 4:05, 3rd
TRIGG - Aaron Acree 86-yard interception (Reinick kick), 1:32, 3rd
TRIGG - Brandon Bridges 7-yard run (Kick failed), 1:17, 4th

INDIVIDUAL STATS

RUSHING - HEATH - Wright 23-124; Kennady 6-24; Simons 10-4
TRIGG - Mayes 13-78; Bridges 11-51; Bush 11-42; Calhoun 4-14; Grubbs 2-11
PASSING - HEATH -  Simons 4-15-2, 129 yards
TRIGG - Bush 4-13-2, 26 yards
RECEIVING - HEATH - Riley 2-49; Williams 1-68; Walden 1-12
TRIGG - Bridges 2-22; Stewart 1-14; Mayes 1 (-10)

Other things that stuck out from the game:

• Trigg County has won consecutive district titles for the third time in school history.  They have never won three in a row.
• Donald Bush was intercepted twice for the first time this year.  The last time he threw two picks in a game was against Wesbter County last year -- a span of 17 games.
• Aaron Acree's 86-yard interception return was the second longest in school history.  Benji Glunt returned a pick 90 yards against North Marshall in 1972.
• Acree's INT for TD was Trigg County's fifth this year.
• Trigg County has won nine straight games against Heath dating back to 1988.
• After giving up 149 points in three losses to Christian County, Caldwell County, and Fort Campbell, Trigg County has allowed 33 points in the three games since.
• Trigg County is now 21-15 in playoff games.
• Brandon Bridges topped the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight season.  If the junior does it again next year, he would join Kelvin Grubbs and Greg Bridges as the only backs to rush for 1,000 yards in three seasons.
• Trigg County has won eight straight playoff games at home.
• Trigg's 41 rushing attempts were the most since rushing 47 times against Murray in the regular season.  The last time Trigg lost a game when they had 40 or more rushing attempts was their 2005 loss to Micah Johnson and the Fort Campbell Falcons.
• Trigg County will host Metcalfe County (10-2) for the region championship game Friday at Perdue Field.

Trigg runs past Reidland in scrimmage

Saying his team has "a long way to go," TCHS head coach Mike Wright still found several positives in their first preseason scrimmage of the year.

The Wildcats won three quarters, lost one, and tied a fifth.  Had a running score been kept, Trigg would have won the five-quarter contest 90-62.

"We tried a lot of different things and went up-tempo and pressured them," Wright said.  "We played pretty even for three quarters, and then we had our run."

Trigg won the first quarter 17-12.  Reidland won the second 18-13, and the teams tied 15-15 in the third.  Trigg scored the first 16 points of the fourth quarter and took it 24-9 and outscored Reidland 21-8 in the fifth quarter.

"I was pleased with our effort in the press.  Our pressing style is back, and the rotations in the press are getting better," Wright said.  "We need to work on our half-court offense a little more and be more patient in the half-court set."

Jonathon King scored 47 points in the five quarters, while Jalik Alexander added 16 points, and Shelton Burress scored 10 points.

Taylor Smith led Reidland, who was 13-17 last year, with 13 points, and Ben Grimm added 12 points.

Wright only played eight people in the scrimmage, saying he expects to get another 4-6 players from the football team when their season ends.

Trigg County will play their final scrimmage at Madisonville Tuesday night.

CLICK HERE for a 2007-08 Trigg County Wildcat basketball schedule

Heath at Trigg County - Playoff version

Trigg County is seeking their second straight district football title Friday night as the Heath Pirates come to town. 

Kickoff at Perdue Field is set for 7:30pm.

The Wildcats are 8-3 following last week's 42-15 win over Murray in the first round.  Meanwhile, Heath snapped a seven-game playoff losing streak that dated back to 1995 with a 20-7 upset of Caldwell County in Princeton.  The Pirates are 5-6.

Here are some other tibits about Friday's game:

• Trigg County is looking to win their second straight district title for the third time in school history (1971-72 and 2000-01).
• Heath last won a district title in 1992 in Class 1A.
• Coming into this year, Heath had dropped 13 of their last 14 playoff games.  Until winning in Princeton last week, their last postseason victory on the road came in 1993 over Crittenden County.
• Trigg County and Heath have met just once in the playoffs -- a 6-3 Trigg win at Heath in 1989.
• The Wildcats are taking the same playoff path as the 1989 team that advanced to the Class 1A championship game.  The Wildcats beat Murray and Heath in the regular season and again in the first two rounds of the playoffs in 1989.
• It's been a good six days for Heath running back Chad Wright.  Last Friday, he rushed 47 times for 274 yards and a score to lead the Pirates past Caldwell County in the first round of the playoffs.  On Wednesday, he signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at the University of Kentucky.  Wright is considered one of the best high school outfielders in the state and will join his brother Brock Wright on the UK baseball team.
• Wright is Heath's all-time leading rusher and has 2,066 yards and 19 touchdowns this year.  He averages 8.4 yards every time he touches the football.  He's caught a touchdown and thrown for one this year as well.
• Trigg County has two running backs closing in on 1,000 yards for the season.  Brandon Bridges needs just 17 yards to reach the mark for the second straight season.  Scotty Mayes needs 92 yards to reach 1,000 yards for the first time.
• Wildcat quarterback Donald Bush has thrown for 1,160 yards and 16 touchdowns this year.  His completion percentage is 56.2%.  He has thrown one interception in 151 attempts.
• Scotty Mayes is now the team's leading receiver with 18 catches for 276 yards.  Antonio Grubbs and Will Stagner each have 17 catches, and Devin Stewart has 16 catches.
• Devin Stewart leads the Wildcats with five interceptions.  Two have been returned for touchdowns.
• John Reinick has kicked 47 extra points this year, already second most in a season.  The record is 52 by Kyle Waldrup in 2001.
• Trigg County has a 20-15 career playoff record.
• Heath has an 18-17 career postseason record.
• The Wildcats have won seven straight home playoff games dating back to 2000.
• Trigg County is 42-14 all-time against teams from McCracken County.
• Trigg leads the all-time series with Heath 13-9, including a 5-6 record at Perdue Field.  Heath last beat Trigg County in 1988, a span of nine straight games.
• Had the old playoff format been in effect for this year, Trigg County would have traveled to Fort Campbell this week.

Click here for the game recap of Trigg County's 35-21 win over Heath back on Oct. 5 at Perdue Field

Airtime Friday is 6:03pm with the SEC Football Report.  The Tailgate Party begins at 6:20pm, and High School Football Gamenight begins at 6:45pm.  Kickoff is 7:30pm.  The game can be heard online at www.wkdzradio.com.

Trigg swim team begins third season Saturday

Trigg County will begin their third season of swimming Saturday at the Hopkinsville Invitational.

Click here for the Trigg swim roster

Jan Woodall is the head coach, and Audrey Jones will be the assistant coach.  Jones swam for 11 years in a league in Evansville, Woodall said.

Below is the tentative schedule for the TCHS swim team, beginning with Saturday's meet in Hopkinsville

Nov. 17 at Hopkinsville Invitational (9am)

Nov. 27 at Hopkinsville (triangular meet with Hopkinsville and Hopkins Central) (4:30pm)

Dec. 1 at Paducah Invitational (9am)

Dec. 15 at Owensboro Invitational (8am)

Jan. 3 at Madisonville (triangular meet with Calloway County and Hopkins Central) (4:30pm)

Jan. 14 at Paducah Tilghman Invitational (5pm)

Jan. 19 at Best of the West in Bowling Green (8am)

Feb. 1-2 at Regional Meet in Owensboro

Feb. 8-9 at State Meet in Louisville

Stopping Chad Wright

If you have seen or know anything about Heath, then you know Trigg County's main task Friday will be to slow down Pirate running back Chad Wright (seen right as shot by Monty Stagner).

Wright is Heath's all-time leading rusher and has 2,066 yards and 19 touchdowns this year.  He averages 8.4 yards every time he touches the football.  He's caught a touchdown and thrown for one this year as well.

Here is what Chad Wright has done game-by-game this year:

Aug. 24 at Mayfield             16 carries, 37 yards, 0 TDs

Aug. 31 at Carbondale, Ill.   27 carries, 292 yards, 3 TDs

Sept. 7 vs. Reidland            12 carries, 235 yards, 4 TDs

Sept. 14 at Caldwell County  26 carries, 228 yards, 2 TDs

Sept. 21 vs. Murray             14 carries, 45 yards, 1 TD

Oct. 5 at Trigg County         29 carries, 247 yards, 2 TDs

Oct. 12 vs. Halls, Tenn.       20 carries, 295 yards, 2 TDs

Oct. 19 vs. Ballard Memorial 15 carries, 176 yards, 3 TDs

Oct. 26 at Paducah Tilghman 16 carries, 55 yards, 0 TDs

Nov. 2 vs. Lone Oak             22 carries, 182 yards, 1 TD

Nov. 9 at Caldwell County     47 carries, 274 yards, 1 TD

Basketball scrimmage, bonfire pep rally tonight

Trigg County will host their first boys' basketball scrimmage Thursday night at 5:30pm against Reidland at Wildcat Gym.  Wildcat AD Doug Gloyd said there would be an admission charge to the scrimmage.  Wildcat head coach Mike Wright said he expects to play five quarters in the scrimmage.

Reidland was 13-17 last year.

Trigg's final scrimmage will be Tuesday at Madisonville.

Meanwhile, there will be a bonfire pep rally for the football team at the school at 7:30pm.  Dress warm

Marshall County reclaims state golf title

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association has reversed their previous decision and again awarded the state golf title to Marshall County.

The Marshals were stripped of the title when it was discovered that a transfer had played on a high school team in Florida.  Apparently, Marshall County didn't file the necessary paperwork with the KHSAA before the season, which resulted in their penalty.

At a hearing Wednesday, the KHSAA called the issue "unique" and gave Marshall County the state championship back.  However, the school was fined $5,000, placed on two years' probation, and will not be allowed to open their season until after Aug. 10.

HERE IS A COPY OF THE KHSAA PRESS RELEASE (pdf)

I'm not sure how the Marshall County situation is "unique" when compared to other schools who haven't submitted paperwork.  Trigg County got stung by the paperwork issue a couple of years ago when Lexi Estes transferred to Trigg from Marshall County.  Then TCHS athletic director Taylor Sparks said he could not locate the paperwork to file with the KHSAA when Estes decided to move back to Marshall County.  Marshall County could not find the original paperwork, which would have helped Trigg County.  As a result, Trigg had to forfeit two basketball games Estes played in that season before her move back to Marshall County.

Again, I'm not sure of the "unique" circumstances that come into play here. 

Trigg County Middle School Girls Basketball Schedule

Here is the remainder of the Trigg County Girls Middle School Basketball Schedule

Nov. 15 at Lyon County (5:30pm)

Nov. 19 vs. Livingston Central (5:30pm)

Nov. 27 at Livingston Central (5:30pm)

Nov. 29 vs. Crittenden County (5:30pm)

Dec. 4 at Caldwell County (5:30pm)

Dec. 6 vs. Dawson Springs (5:30pm)

Dec. 10-13 at 7th Grade District Tournament at Lyon County (TBA)

Dec. 17 vs. Christian County (7:30pm)

Dec. 18 at North Drive Middle (6:30pm)

Jan. 3 at UHA (5pm)

Jan. 7-10 at 8th Grade District Tournament at Lyon County (TBA)

Trigg County Middle School Boys Basketball Schedule

Here is the remainder of the Trigg County Boys Middle School Basketball Schedule

Nov. 20 vs. Lyon County (5:30pm)

Nov. 26 vs. Crittenden County (5:30pm)

Nov. 29 at North Drive Middle (5:30pm)

Dec. 4 vs. Caldwell County (5:30pm)

Dec. 6 at Dawson Springs (5:30pm)

Dec. 10-13 at 7th Grade District Tournament at Lyon County (TBA)

Dec. 17 vs. Christian County (5:30pm)

Dec. 18 at North Drive (5:30pm)

Jan. 7-10 at 8th Grade District Tournament at Lyon County (TBA)

Scotty Hopson: Yes, maybe, let's wait....

University Heights forward Scotty Hopson committed to play basketball at Mississippi State earlier this year.  Today was the first day of the official signing season, but Hopson appears to have wavered a bit.

A story in today's Kentucky New Era said Hopson was set to sign Friday at 7pm at a school function.

“I guess I can say, I’m going to sign Friday night — we have our big ‘Blazers’ Night Out’ event,” Hopson told the New Era.  “It’s going to be great — a lot of smiles, a lot of laughs and we’re going to have a good time,” he added. “So signing is just something to hope for in the future. It’s just me going to college, I’m going to have to do it anyway, so I guess I can get it out of the way now.”

However, Jody Demling reported on his blog Wednesday that Hopson told him he wasn't going to sign in the early period, calling it "a family decision."

The Jackson Clarion Ledger newspaper is reporting the same thing.

Tyler Gilliland makes it official, signs with WKU

Christian County pitcher Tyler Gilliland made it official today when he signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at Western Kentucky University.

Here are some of his accomplishments:

• Three-year varsity letterman
• 15-4 career record
• Career ERA of 1.38 -- First on the all-time CCHS list
• 2005 ERA of 0.72 set a school record
• Has allowed only 23 earned runs in three varsity seasons on the mound
• Selected to the Kentucky Junior All-Star Team this year

Mike Keith talks to the Hopkinsville Rotary Club

Tennessee Titans radio announcer Mike Keith was the guest speaker at the Hopkinsville Rotary Club today.  Bill Booth had a chance to talk with Mike following the meeting.

You can listen to the interview by visting the Toyota of Hopkinsville Audio Rack by clicking HERE.

Predictions: Trigg over Heath

You can't really go by computer rankings, but the two main computer rankings in the state predict Trigg County to beat Heath by anywhere from 8 to 15 points Friday.

The Courier-Journal Litkenhous Ratings say Trigg County by 15

The Massey Ratings say Trigg County by 8

The Lexington Herald-Leader didn't publish the Cantrell Rankings on their web page this week.

Richmond remembering anniversary of playoff crash

I let this one slip up on me until Tom Rogers sent me an e-mail of an online article he read in today's Richmond Register.

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Todd County plane crash that killed 11 people coming to Hopkinsville to watch Trigg County's playoff game with Richmond Madison.

Some background on the story.

Trigg County had moved to the new Perdue Field in the next to last game of the season -- a 54-6 win over Todd County Central.  The following week, they chewed up the wet field in a 50-20 win over Fulton City.  Because the new turf couldn't be fixed in time for the postseason, Trigg County played their "home" playoff games at Walnut Street Stadium in Hopkinsville.

After beating Allen County 34-0 in the first round, the Wildcats hosted a Richmond Madison team that was 12-0 entering their state semifinal game with Trigg County.

Trigg County overcame the ejection of leading rusher Selby Grubbs (many Wildcat fans believe the ejection was provoked purposely by the RMHS player) and won the game 19-10.

Following the game, a chartered plane carrying 11 Richmond fans crashed in a field in Todd County after a layer of ice began to form on the plane’s wings.

There was a memorial in Richmond that paid tribute to those killed in the crash that has since been moved to a new location.

Read more about the memorial and the rememberance in today's RICHMOND REGISTER newspaper.

College Bowl Projections: Week 11

The Bowl Projections are out, and the variety of football gurus around the nation have Kentucky going everywhere from Memphis to Atlanta to the Outback Bowl and another bowl game with Penn State.

Click here to see the ESPN.com bowl projections

Click here to see the SI.com bowl projections

Click here for the CBS Sportsline bowl projections

Tyler Gilliland to sign with Western Kentucky

Christian County pitcher Tyler Gilliland will sign a scholarship agreement to play baseball at Western Kentucky University.  The signing ceremoney will be held Wednesday at 2:30pm in the cafeteria at Christian County High School.

CCHS head coach Josh Hunt said Gilliland pitched in a showcase in Bowling Green a couple of weeks ago and was offered a scholarship by WKU before he left.  Hunt added WKU had been interested in Gilliland for "quite a while."

Gilliland was 6-2 with a 2.49 ERA for the Colonels last year, despite battling a back problem that limited his innings pitched.  Over the summer, he pitched for the Kentucky Junior Baseball team.  As a sophomore, Gilliland notched a 9-2 record and a microscopic 0.72 ERA.

Western Kentucky was 25-30 last year, including a 15-15 mark in the Sun Belt Conference.  However, Gilliland is expected to join a young team at WKU that includes several of the state's best players from recent years.  Hunt said Gilliland was signed to be a pitcher but could play some outfield for the Hilltoppers also.

Gilliland could immediately step in and help a WKU pitching staff that had a team ERA of 6.11 last year.

CBS picks up Kentucky/Tennessee game

CBS has picked up Kentucky's Nov. 24 game with Tennessee, giving the Wildcats three appearances on CBS this year.

The game will start at 1:30pm Lexington time (12:30 local time) and will preceed the Florida/Florida State game.

CBS chose the 'Cats and Vols over the annual Iron Bowl between Auburn and Alabama.  That game will air on ESPN on Saturday night.

It also means Kentucky's basketball game with Texas Southern at Rupp Arena has been moved to Saturday night.  After all, it is a football state now.

The (Atlantic) Sun also rises

Watch out Alabama, UConn, Xavier, Clemson, Michigan State, and Auburn.  The Atlantic Sun Conference is gunning for you next.

Most Kentucky basketball fans thought Garnder-Webb was a depression era novelist until the Runnin' Bulldogs dropped into Rupp Arena and manhandled the Wildcats on their home floor.

Garnder-Webb, formerly a junior college known as the first stop for Artis Gilmore before moving on to Jacksonville and the Final Four in 1970, scored the first 14 points of the game and beat the Wildcats 84-68.

The same was probably true of USC fans and their heralded freshman O.J. Mayo when they saw Mercer on the schedule.  Is that Ron or Roy D. Mercer?  Just how big a college are you anyway?

Mercer went into LA and ran away with a 96-81 thumping of the 18th ranked Trojans in the first game of the Mayo era.

Both USC and Kentucky fell from the top 25 following the home court losses.

And then there's Belmont.  The Nashville Knights opened their season at Cincinnati and handed Mick Cronin's Bearcats the program's first loss in a home opener in 42 years with an 86-75 win in Cincy.

In just a week, three games have caused the college basketball world to take notice of the small conference based out of Macon, Georgia -- the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Created the same year Jack Givens and James Lee slammed home Kentucky's fifth national title over Duke, the Atlantic Sun has seen it's share of upsets in the national spotlight thanks to the NCAA Tournament and March Madness.  The conferece was known as the Trans American Athletic Conference until 2001. 

Mercer, also based in Macon, Georgia, is the only original school left in the conference.  The conference universities are located in places such as Boiling Springs, North Carolina (Gardner-Webb); Johnson City, Tennessee (East Tennessee State), Buies Creek, North Carolina (Campbell); and DeLand, Florida (Stetson).  I always thought Stetson was in Texas.  Made more sense.

Schools have come and gone, but the current 12-team setup has it's share of tradition. East Tennessee State and Jacksonville have each won games in the NCAA Tournament, albeit a while ago.

After this season, the conference will be trimmed back to 11 when Gardner-Webb moves to the Big South Conference.

We've seen conferences rise and fall in the past.  Remember the Ohio Valley Conference that saw Austin Peay and Murray State pull off upset wins in the first round of the NCAAs in the early 1980s? 

What will be the legacy of the Atlantic Sun Conference?  One-year flash in the plan or up and coming conference?  Who knows.  But I'd be nervous if I was a major conference team that had an A-Sun school on the schedule.

Alabama has games scheduled with both Gardner-Webb and Belmont.  After watching the first week of the regular season, they may be happy to come away with a split. 

Jacksonville plays at Florida, Michigan State, and Georgetown.  Mercer plays at Auburn, and Belmont goes back to Cincinnati to play Xavier.

Don't be surprised to see the Atlantic Sun make some more noise prior to March Madness this year.

Jay Jolly, Macey King compete in the state XC meet

Trigg County junior Jay Jolly and sixth grader Macey King competed in the Class 1A State Cross Country Meet Saturday in Lexington.

King finished 123rd out of 186 runners in a time of 23:36 over the 3.1-mile course.  It was her third straight year competing in the state meet, and her time was 1:42 faster than last year's 142nd place finish.  King was the fastest sixth grader in the Class 1A race.

Danville eighth grader Kaitlyn Snapp won the race for the second straight year in a time of 19:22, while St. Henry took the girls' team title.  St. Mary was 11th, and Fort Campbell was 12th.

CLICK HERE FOR THE CLASS 1A GIRLS RACE RESULTS

Meanwhile, Jay Jolly knocked 50 seconds off his time from last year's state meet but finished six spots lower.  Jolly was 97th in a time of 18:31, which was 2:41 behind race winner Gordy Dooley of St. Henry.  Jolly was 23rd among juniors in the race, which totaled 197 runners.

St. Henry won the boys' title again, while St. Mary was ninth and Fort Campbell 10th.

CLICK HERE FOR THE CLASS 1A BOYS RACE RESULTS

Ever wonder why Tennessee wears orange?

Have you ever wondered why Tennessee wears orange?  I guess it's so their fans can continue to wear orange after taking their child with them inside to rob a liquor store.

CLICK HERE for the story of a Volunteer fan who will continue to wear orange long after the final whistle has sounded on the season.