Scott Brown's SportsBytes on WKDZ

Full court bounce pass for a dunk

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

 

8th District Basketball Tournament Pairings

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

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20

BOYS

Hopkinsville vs. Fort Campbell, 6 p.m.

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

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

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


TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21

GIRLS

Hopkinsville vs. Fort Campbell, 6 p.m.

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

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

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


FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24

Girls Championship game at 6 p.m.

Boys Championship game at 8 p.m.

7th District Basketball Tournament Pairings

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

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20

GIRLS

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

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


BOYS

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

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


TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21

GIRLS

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

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


BOYS

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

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


THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23

Girls Championship at 6 p.m.

Boys Championship at 8 p.m.



5th District Basketball Tournament Pairings

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

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20

BOYS

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

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

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

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

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21

GIRLS

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

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

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

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

 

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23

Boys Championship Game at 7pm.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24

Girls Championship Game at 7 p.m.

 

 

TCYAA signups underway

Trigg County Youth Athletic Association signups are underway for the spring seasons of baseball and softball. 

 

Leagues are available for boys baseball ages 5-15 and girls softball ages 5-12.

 

The entry fee is the same as last year, $50.  Each additional family member is $40 until March 2.

 

All players must attend one of two evaluations on March 3 and March 10 at the Trigg County Recreation Complex.  Signups on these days are $55 and $45 (each additional member)

 

Signups for coed 3-4 year-old Tee Ball are also underway.  The entry fee is $35, and there is no multi-player discount.

 

Leagues are determined by the child's age on May 1.

 

No registrations or payments will be taken after March 10.

 

Signups can be completed online at www.tcyaa.org.  Both credit and debit card payments can be taken online.  Entry fees can also be mailed to TCYAA, P.O. Box 931, Cadiz, KY 42211

 

Here are the leagues offered this year by the TCYAA 

• 3-4 year old (boys and girls)- T-ball
• 5-6 year old baseball (boys) - machine pitching
• 7-8 year old baseball (boys) - machine pitch
• 9-10, 11-12, and 13-15 year old boys - Kid pitch
• 5-6 year old softball (girls) - hit off of a Tee- Regular softball rules
• 7-9 year old softball (girls) - machine pitch
• 10-12 year old softball (girls) - Kid pitch

The season will begin around April 16.  For more information, contact Scott Brown at 484-6919.

 

Mike Wright gets 200th coaching win as Wildcat coach

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

(Kentucky New Era photo)

 

2012 Trigg County Athletic Hall of Fame: Ginger Wallace

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Induction speech of Ginger Wallace

 

2012 Trigg County Athletic Hall of Fame: Buddy Sivills

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Buddy Sivills' induction speech

 

2012 Trigg County Athletic Hall of Fame: Gary Siegmund

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Coach Sieg's induction speech

 

2012 Trigg County Athletic Hall of Fame: David Radford

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

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

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

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

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

Accepting the award for the late David Radford were his sons Lamar and Stevie Radford and brother Eddie Radford.

Lamar, Stevie, and Eddie Radford speaking about David

 

2012 Trigg County Athletic Hall of Fame: Joe Jaggers

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

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

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

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

After leaving Trigg County in 1976, Jaggers went on to win state football titles at Fort Knox and retired as the state’s all time winningest coach with 292 victories.

Coach Jaggers was not able to attend the induction banquet.  His award was accepted by his son and former Trigg County quarterback Marty Jaggers.

Marty Jaggers speaks about his father Coach Joe Jaggers

 

2012 Trigg County Athletic Hall of Fame: Sam Love

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mike Wright introduces Sam Love

 

2012 Trigg County Athletic Hall of Fame: Selby Grubbs

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

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

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

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

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

Selby was unable to attend the banquet due to hip replacement surgery last week.  His son Rodney accepted his award on his behalf.

Rodney Grubbs talking about his father Selby Grubbs

 

2012 Trigg County High School Athletic Hall of Fame: David Butts

David Butts 

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

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

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

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

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

David Butts' HOF induction speech

 

2012 Trigg County Athletic Hall of Fame: Duke Burnett

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

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

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

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

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

However, one of Burnett's greatest feats came in the mid-1960s when he was the coach of the Wildcats when the school underwent intergration -- something that went smoothly at Trigg County unlike other places.

HOF induction speech of Duke Burnett

 

Local horse wins first race Sunday

Teeny Liz, the two-year old filly from Winners Circle Stables in Hopkinsville, won her first race Sunday at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans.

She went off at 9/1 and paid $21.80 for her wire to wire win in just her second race.

Winners Circle Stables is located on Cadiz Road and owned in part by Kevin Atwood.  Teeny Liz has several local owners and is named after Charlene Sheehan's late sister, who was nicknamed Teeny, and for Atwood's daughter Elizabeth, who was killed in a car wreck nearly two years ago.

Teeny Liz is trained by Larry Jones of Hopkinsville and is the great, great granddaughter of the legendary Secretariat.

You can watch Teeny Liz's first win HERE

 

 

2012 Trigg County Athletic Hall of Fame: Chappel Allen

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

Allen was also a starting offensive and defensive lineman for the Wildcat football team.

After high school, Allen settled in Cadiz and founded Kentucky Machine and Engineering.  Through his business and personal contributions, Allen has been one of the biggest supporters of Trigg County athletics through the years. 

Allen and KME have helped sponsor football bowl games and basketball tournaments.  He has also made other contributions that have helped improve athletic facilities.  Retired TCHS athletic director Jim Perrin called Allen one of the largest community supporters he has worked with in his many years of athletic work.

Chappel Allen's HOF induction speech

 

Corey Wilford settling in with Southeast Missouri State

Former Christian County standout Corey Wilford is taking advantage of his increase in playing time with Southeast Missouri State.

Wilford came off the bench to score a season-high 15 points for SEMO in their 81-73 loss to Murray State Thursday.  Several of Wilford's family members made the trip to Murray to see him play, and he didn't disappoint.

Wilford came off the bench and drilled consecutive 3-pointers to extend SEMO's lead from 15-14 to 21-14 in the first half.  However, Wilford was also assigned with the task of defending Murray State guard Isaiah Canaan late in the first half when the Racer guard caught fire.

After two seasons at Conners State Junior College, Wilford is averaging 20 minutes a game over their last four.  While he is averaging 5.3 ppg. on the season, he has boosted that to 8 ppg. over the last four.

Wilford and SEMO get a return shot at Murray State on their home court on February 15.

Corey Wilford talks about his role at SEMO this year

 

Isaiah Canaan talks about his 32 point night against SEMO

With four minutes to go in the first half, Murray State's Isaiah Canaan was scoreless and the Racers trailed SEMO 33-23.  The junior guard drained a couple of threes and a couple of free throws to finish with eight points in the half.

The second half was owned by Canaan.

SEMO led 46-35 with 17:00 left in the game.  Murray outscored the Redhawks 24-2 over the next six minutes to take a 59-48 lead and essentially claim the game.  Canaan had 16 of Murray's 24 points in that run.

Canaan finished with 32 points as Murray State improved to 22-0 overall and 10-0 in the OVC.

Isaiah Canaan talks about his 32-point night

 

Interview with Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio

Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio made the trip to western KentuckyThursday night to take in his first game at the CFSB Center.

We talked about the Racers and his first impressions of Murray, the upcoming toughness of the Kentucky hoops schedule, and his choices for the All-Calipari team at UK.

Interview with Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio

 

Trigg County Hall of Fame banquet to be held Saturday

The second Trigg County Athletic Hall of Fame Class  will be honored this weekend at the Friday night basketball and a banquet on Sunday.

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

The second Trigg County Hall of Fame class consists of:

Chappel Allen (contributor)

Duke Burnett (boys basketball coach)

David Butts (baseball)

Selby Grubbs (football)

Joe Jaggers (football coach)

Sam Love (track, cross country)

David Radford (football, basketball)

Gary Siegmund (coach, trainer)

Buddy Sivills (basketball)

Ginger Wallace (basketball, cross country)

The Hall of Fame class will be honored at Trigg County's Friday night game with Community Christian.  A banquet will be held at the school cafeteria on Saturday.  Doors open at 4pm.  Dinner will begin at 5pm, with the induction ceremony to start at 6pm.  Advanced tickets can be purchased in the high school office for $10.  

Mike Wright talks about the Hall of Fame events