Steve Woodward, founder of Marshall County's Hoop Fest, has put together an additional game for Thursday, Dec. 4 that will match up teams that could be Nos. 1 and 2 in some preseason national rankings.
Oak Hill Academy and Duncanville (Texas) will square off at 7 p.m., moving back already-scheduled games between Jackson (Miss.) Provine and Newark (N.J.) St. Benedict's and Memphis Briarcrest and Homewood-Flossmoor from suburban Chicago.
Oak Hill will have its usual assortment of high-profile prospects, including widebody forward Keith "Tiny" Gallon. Duncanville has four Division I commitments, including two to play for Travis Ford at Oklahoma State and one apiece at Texas and Alabama.
Both teams will also play in the Saturday night session, Duncanville against Scott County — Kentucky's preseason No. 1 team with Kentucky commitment Dakotah Euton — and Oak Hill against Chicago Simeon.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Football leftovers ... Week 9
Before we move on to other subjects, a few final thoughts on the situation at Paducah Tilghman:
No program benefited more from the Kentucky High School Athletic Association's decision to go from four classes to six classes than Tilghman, which was placed in a district with a school (Union County) that had beaten the Tornado once in 24 years and three others (McLean County, Muhlenberg South and Webster County) that would have never had the stomach to schedule the Tornado.
It seemed like a breeze ... I fully expected it would be a decade or more before Tilghman lost a district game and felt that the Tornado would have a clear path to the state semifinals nearly every year.
I covered the Tornado's first game, against Christian County — one of western Kentucky's most talented teams — at the Jerry Claiborne Bowl in Hopkinsville. Tilghman made a nice second-half comeback and, with its top two running backs on the shelf with injuries, appeared to be driving for a potential game-tying touchdown when it fumbled inside the Christian 30 in the final five minutes.
Then the wheels fell off against Graves County the next week, and the program has been in downward-spiral mode ever since.
Compare the way that this year's Tilghman squad has deteriorated with the way that Perry Thomas' 2006 squad came back from an 0-5 start to win the district title and reach the second round of the playoffs.
It remains interesting that Thomas, who left to take the job at Campbellsville University last December, still has his detractors in town. He played a boring brand of football, some of them say ... well, he used about three or four different schemes in his eight-year tenure at Tilghman, going with what he felt was best suited for the talent on hand in the program.
An anti-Thomas reader e-mailed me today ripping Thomas for his coaching style. My response was this: Are you enjoying the 2-7 record Tilghman has compiled this year more than the playoff run that got the Tornado to within a play or two of the state championship game?
Like him or not, exciting brand of football or not, Thomas was a winner at Tilghman. He took over a program in near-shambles and won a district title in his first season with 19 players in the top three grades, then got the Tornado to the state semifinals twice in a span of five seasons.
One more point to make ... Thomas inherited a team at Campbellsville that was 0-10 last season, leaving a program that reached the state semifinals. Campbellsville is 2-6 this season with three games left on the schedule. Tilghman will win, at most, three games on the field this fall.
What kind of odds could we have gotten in the preseason that Campbellsville would win more games than Tilghman this year?
• Marshall County's injury woes will extend deep into basketball season, too. Josh Madding and Denver Seay, both two-way starters and perhaps the team's two most indispensable players, are out for a few weeks with injuries. Madding. a dual threat back and receiver, broke his right arm in last week's loss to Henderson County. Seay, a starter at quarterback and defensive end, was already dealing with a badly bruised wrist when he suffered a separated shoulder.
Both are expected to start on Marshall's basketball team, too. There is talk that Seay is hoping he can play with the shoulder and avoid surgery until after the conclusion of basketball season.
• It was clear last week that senior Chris Dobbins has become Calloway County's go-to receiver. Dobbins sometimes gets overshadowed by teammate George Garner, who has a little more size and speed, but Dobbins is reliable in his own right. In the come-from-behind 28-21 win over Hopkins Central, four of Dobbins' five receptions were on third-down plays for first downs, and he had a touchdown catch on fourth down.
• The playoff picture became a little clearer after last week. Here is a look at the first-round pairings (in bracket order) in far western Kentucky:
Class A
Ballard Memorial at Caverna
Kentucky Country Day at Crittenden County
Bethlehem at Mayfield
Fulton City at Louisville Holy Cross
Class 2A
Caldwell County at Owensboro Catholic
Todd Central at Trigg County
Hancock County at Murray
Heath at Fort Campbell
Class 3A
Muhlenberg South at Butler County
Adair County at Union County
Edmonson County at McLean County
Webster County at Russellville
Class 4A
Hopkins Central at Franklin-Simpson
Russell County at Calloway County
Warren East at Lone Oak
Muhlenberg North at Allen County
Class 5A
Hopkinsville at Grayson County
Barren County at Christian County
Warren Central at Owensboro
Ohio County at Bowling Green
Class 6A
Madisonville at Louisville Eastern
Louisville Seneca at Daviess County
Louisville Ballard at Henderson County
Graves County at Louisville Trinity
No program benefited more from the Kentucky High School Athletic Association's decision to go from four classes to six classes than Tilghman, which was placed in a district with a school (Union County) that had beaten the Tornado once in 24 years and three others (McLean County, Muhlenberg South and Webster County) that would have never had the stomach to schedule the Tornado.
It seemed like a breeze ... I fully expected it would be a decade or more before Tilghman lost a district game and felt that the Tornado would have a clear path to the state semifinals nearly every year.
I covered the Tornado's first game, against Christian County — one of western Kentucky's most talented teams — at the Jerry Claiborne Bowl in Hopkinsville. Tilghman made a nice second-half comeback and, with its top two running backs on the shelf with injuries, appeared to be driving for a potential game-tying touchdown when it fumbled inside the Christian 30 in the final five minutes.
Then the wheels fell off against Graves County the next week, and the program has been in downward-spiral mode ever since.
Compare the way that this year's Tilghman squad has deteriorated with the way that Perry Thomas' 2006 squad came back from an 0-5 start to win the district title and reach the second round of the playoffs.
It remains interesting that Thomas, who left to take the job at Campbellsville University last December, still has his detractors in town. He played a boring brand of football, some of them say ... well, he used about three or four different schemes in his eight-year tenure at Tilghman, going with what he felt was best suited for the talent on hand in the program.
An anti-Thomas reader e-mailed me today ripping Thomas for his coaching style. My response was this: Are you enjoying the 2-7 record Tilghman has compiled this year more than the playoff run that got the Tornado to within a play or two of the state championship game?
Like him or not, exciting brand of football or not, Thomas was a winner at Tilghman. He took over a program in near-shambles and won a district title in his first season with 19 players in the top three grades, then got the Tornado to the state semifinals twice in a span of five seasons.
One more point to make ... Thomas inherited a team at Campbellsville that was 0-10 last season, leaving a program that reached the state semifinals. Campbellsville is 2-6 this season with three games left on the schedule. Tilghman will win, at most, three games on the field this fall.
What kind of odds could we have gotten in the preseason that Campbellsville would win more games than Tilghman this year?
• Marshall County's injury woes will extend deep into basketball season, too. Josh Madding and Denver Seay, both two-way starters and perhaps the team's two most indispensable players, are out for a few weeks with injuries. Madding. a dual threat back and receiver, broke his right arm in last week's loss to Henderson County. Seay, a starter at quarterback and defensive end, was already dealing with a badly bruised wrist when he suffered a separated shoulder.
Both are expected to start on Marshall's basketball team, too. There is talk that Seay is hoping he can play with the shoulder and avoid surgery until after the conclusion of basketball season.
• It was clear last week that senior Chris Dobbins has become Calloway County's go-to receiver. Dobbins sometimes gets overshadowed by teammate George Garner, who has a little more size and speed, but Dobbins is reliable in his own right. In the come-from-behind 28-21 win over Hopkins Central, four of Dobbins' five receptions were on third-down plays for first downs, and he had a touchdown catch on fourth down.
• The playoff picture became a little clearer after last week. Here is a look at the first-round pairings (in bracket order) in far western Kentucky:
Class A
Ballard Memorial at Caverna
Kentucky Country Day at Crittenden County
Bethlehem at Mayfield
Fulton City at Louisville Holy Cross
Class 2A
Caldwell County at Owensboro Catholic
Todd Central at Trigg County
Hancock County at Murray
Heath at Fort Campbell
Class 3A
Muhlenberg South at Butler County
Adair County at Union County
Edmonson County at McLean County
Webster County at Russellville
Class 4A
Hopkins Central at Franklin-Simpson
Russell County at Calloway County
Warren East at Lone Oak
Muhlenberg North at Allen County
Class 5A
Hopkinsville at Grayson County
Barren County at Christian County
Warren Central at Owensboro
Ohio County at Bowling Green
Class 6A
Madisonville at Louisville Eastern
Louisville Seneca at Daviess County
Louisville Ballard at Henderson County
Graves County at Louisville Trinity
Friday, October 24, 2008
Football Friday ... Week 9
For Trigg County, it's a sign of respect. It's also a burden to bear.
As the Wildcats' program steadily improved on previous coach Curtis Higgins' watch, some of their traditional opponents dropped longstanding series. Russellville and Todd Central, once fixtures on the schedule, haven't played Trigg in several years, although the schools still meet in several other sports.
Even now, Trigg has a devil of a time getting smaller schools (Class A, 2A and 3A) to agree to a game. That makes for a rugged non-district schedule that puts the Wildcats in some tough spots.
For example, if Trigg loses to Caldwell County tonight in a critical district game, the Wildcats are virtually certain to finish third in a three-way tiebreaker for first place with two brands of Tigers, Caldwell and Murray. Their non-district slate includes losses to Hopkinsville, Calloway County, Hopkins Central and Christian County — all teams that have been ranked in Class 4A and 5A at various times this season.
And the Wildcats also meet defending state champion Fort Campbell next week, then close out with Fulton County,
How does the non-district schedule affect things? A win tonight means the difference between a district championship and a No. 3 seed, which sets up a long, hard and tough road throughout the playoffs. Emphasis on "road" since that would mean the Wildcats would be very unlikely to host a playoff game.
"We'll be in the same situation next year — we can't get A and 2A teams to play us," Trigg coach Shannon Burcham said. "We've talked to Fort Campbell, but the dates probably won't line up for us. We'd love to play Russellville, but we can't fit it in. Madisonville, Graves County and Marshall County have called us, and I don't blame them, and we will probably play Franklin-Simpson. We may end up with Mayfield in a bowl game, but that would be the only smaller school on there.
"Our kids have kept the right frame of mind about it. We've lost those games, but they made us better and it started to show when we got to playing the 2A teams (in district games). The other downside is that you can end up with a bunch of injuries."
• Projected playoff matchups: These are my best guesses on first-round playoff games (in bracket order) for all six classes in western Kentucky. Some seedings will be determined tonight and some potential tiebreakers might not be decided for two weeks.
Class A
Ballard Memorial at Caverna
Kentucky Country Day at Crittenden County
Bardstown Bethlehem at Mayfield
Fulton City at Louisville Holy Cross
Class 2A
Caldwell County at Owensboro Catholic
Todd Central at Trigg County
Hancock County at Murray
Heath at Fort Campbell
Class 3A
McLean County at Butler County
Hart County at Union County
Edmonson County at Paducah Tilghman
Muhlenberg South at Russellville
Class 4A
Hopkins Central at Franklin-Simpson
Russell County at Calloway County
Warren East at Lone Oak
Muhlenberg North at Allen County
Class 5A
Hopkinsville at Warren Central
Barren County at Owensboro
Grayson County at Christian County
Ohio County at Bowling Green
Class 6A
Apollo at Louisville Ballard
Louisville Seneca at Daviess County
Louisville Eastern at Henderson County
Madisonville at Louisville Trinity
As the Wildcats' program steadily improved on previous coach Curtis Higgins' watch, some of their traditional opponents dropped longstanding series. Russellville and Todd Central, once fixtures on the schedule, haven't played Trigg in several years, although the schools still meet in several other sports.
Even now, Trigg has a devil of a time getting smaller schools (Class A, 2A and 3A) to agree to a game. That makes for a rugged non-district schedule that puts the Wildcats in some tough spots.
For example, if Trigg loses to Caldwell County tonight in a critical district game, the Wildcats are virtually certain to finish third in a three-way tiebreaker for first place with two brands of Tigers, Caldwell and Murray. Their non-district slate includes losses to Hopkinsville, Calloway County, Hopkins Central and Christian County — all teams that have been ranked in Class 4A and 5A at various times this season.
And the Wildcats also meet defending state champion Fort Campbell next week, then close out with Fulton County,
How does the non-district schedule affect things? A win tonight means the difference between a district championship and a No. 3 seed, which sets up a long, hard and tough road throughout the playoffs. Emphasis on "road" since that would mean the Wildcats would be very unlikely to host a playoff game.
"We'll be in the same situation next year — we can't get A and 2A teams to play us," Trigg coach Shannon Burcham said. "We've talked to Fort Campbell, but the dates probably won't line up for us. We'd love to play Russellville, but we can't fit it in. Madisonville, Graves County and Marshall County have called us, and I don't blame them, and we will probably play Franklin-Simpson. We may end up with Mayfield in a bowl game, but that would be the only smaller school on there.
"Our kids have kept the right frame of mind about it. We've lost those games, but they made us better and it started to show when we got to playing the 2A teams (in district games). The other downside is that you can end up with a bunch of injuries."
• Projected playoff matchups: These are my best guesses on first-round playoff games (in bracket order) for all six classes in western Kentucky. Some seedings will be determined tonight and some potential tiebreakers might not be decided for two weeks.
Class A
Ballard Memorial at Caverna
Kentucky Country Day at Crittenden County
Bardstown Bethlehem at Mayfield
Fulton City at Louisville Holy Cross
Class 2A
Caldwell County at Owensboro Catholic
Todd Central at Trigg County
Hancock County at Murray
Heath at Fort Campbell
Class 3A
McLean County at Butler County
Hart County at Union County
Edmonson County at Paducah Tilghman
Muhlenberg South at Russellville
Class 4A
Hopkins Central at Franklin-Simpson
Russell County at Calloway County
Warren East at Lone Oak
Muhlenberg North at Allen County
Class 5A
Hopkinsville at Warren Central
Barren County at Owensboro
Grayson County at Christian County
Ohio County at Bowling Green
Class 6A
Apollo at Louisville Ballard
Louisville Seneca at Daviess County
Louisville Eastern at Henderson County
Madisonville at Louisville Trinity
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Gunner Gillespie passes away ...
Within the last hour or so, we at The Paducah Sun got the sad and awful news that Gunner Gillespie, the 8-year-old son of Marshall County basketball coach Gus Gillespie, passed away after battling an inoperable brain tumor for nearly 11 months.
Far western Kentucky has gotten to know Gunner and his plight quite well for the last year — his love of trains became the inspiration for T-shirts that were sold to help raise money for his medical expenses, and his mother, Janna, has kept thousands of friends and well-wishers apprised of Gunner's struggles on an online journal.
Gus Gillespie talked in this forum back in the spring about how much he and his family appreciated the outpouring of love and support — emotionally, financially and otherwise — received from the Marshall community, and how it played a role in his decision not to seek an attractive coaching job at Mount Vernon, Ill., where he was once an assistant.
Please keep the Gillespies in your prayers ...
Far western Kentucky has gotten to know Gunner and his plight quite well for the last year — his love of trains became the inspiration for T-shirts that were sold to help raise money for his medical expenses, and his mother, Janna, has kept thousands of friends and well-wishers apprised of Gunner's struggles on an online journal.
Gus Gillespie talked in this forum back in the spring about how much he and his family appreciated the outpouring of love and support — emotionally, financially and otherwise — received from the Marshall community, and how it played a role in his decision not to seek an attractive coaching job at Mount Vernon, Ill., where he was once an assistant.
Please keep the Gillespies in your prayers ...
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
BluegrassPreps.com rankings ...
Class A
1. Beechwood
2. Raceland
3. Lexington Christian
4. Frankfort
5. Hazard
6. Louisville Holy Cross
7. Bellevue
8. Fairview
9. Crittenden County
10. Williamsburg
Class 2A
1. Fort Campbell
2. Newport Catholic
3. Corbin
4. Green County
5. Owensboro Catholic
6. Danville
7. Prestonsburg
8. Louisville DeSales
9. Monroe County
10. Trigg County
Class 3A
1. Belfry
2. Louisville Central
3. Breathitt County
4. Mason County
5. Estill County
6. Russell
7. Harlan County
8. North Oldham
9. Sheldon Clark
10. Elizabethtown
Class 4A
1. Boyle County
2. Bell County
3. Lexington Catholic
4. Allen County
5. Franklin-Simpson
6. Calloway County
7. Lone Oak
8. North Bullitt
9. Hopkins Central
10. Louisville Western
Class 5A
1. Fort Thomas Highlands
2. John Hardin
3. Bowling Green
4. Owensboro
5. Johnson Central
6. Christian County
7. Louisville Doss
8. Oldham County
9. Ashland
10. Hopkinsville
Class 6A
1. Louisville St. Xavier
2. Louisville Trinity
3. Boone County
4. Louisville Ballard
5. Louisville Manual
6. Scott County
7. Madison Central
8. Louisville Male
9. Daviess County
10. Lexington Lafayette
1. Beechwood
2. Raceland
3. Lexington Christian
4. Frankfort
5. Hazard
6. Louisville Holy Cross
7. Bellevue
8. Fairview
9. Crittenden County
10. Williamsburg
Class 2A
1. Fort Campbell
2. Newport Catholic
3. Corbin
4. Green County
5. Owensboro Catholic
6. Danville
7. Prestonsburg
8. Louisville DeSales
9. Monroe County
10. Trigg County
Class 3A
1. Belfry
2. Louisville Central
3. Breathitt County
4. Mason County
5. Estill County
6. Russell
7. Harlan County
8. North Oldham
9. Sheldon Clark
10. Elizabethtown
Class 4A
1. Boyle County
2. Bell County
3. Lexington Catholic
4. Allen County
5. Franklin-Simpson
6. Calloway County
7. Lone Oak
8. North Bullitt
9. Hopkins Central
10. Louisville Western
Class 5A
1. Fort Thomas Highlands
2. John Hardin
3. Bowling Green
4. Owensboro
5. Johnson Central
6. Christian County
7. Louisville Doss
8. Oldham County
9. Ashland
10. Hopkinsville
Class 6A
1. Louisville St. Xavier
2. Louisville Trinity
3. Boone County
4. Louisville Ballard
5. Louisville Manual
6. Scott County
7. Madison Central
8. Louisville Male
9. Daviess County
10. Lexington Lafayette
Monday, October 20, 2008
Football leftovers ... Week 8
Paducah Tilghman linemen began dropping like flies in the fourth quarter of the Tornado's visit to Allen County, which helps explain the home team's two late touchdowns in its 28-10 victory.
Not all of them will be back this week, either.
Kirk Sanderson, perhaps the Tornado's best offensive lineman, went down with a knee injury. The severity of it has yet to be fully determined, but the early prognosis isn't good — there are fears that Sanderson could have a torn ACL.
Two-way tackle Kalmece Wilson pulled a hamstring in pre-game warm ups. Offensive lineman Keary Turnley, who also sees some spot duty on defense, separated a shoulder, and Sam McDowell (also a linebacker) left the game after a recurring shoulder problem caused some numbness and tingling in both of his arms.
"It was like someone put a curse on us at the beginning of the fourth quarter," Tilghman coach Randy Wyatt said. "We ended with two sophomores and a freshman in those spots."
Wyatt said Turnley and McDowell are questionable for this week's district finale with Muhlenberg South, a game Tilghman must win to maintain a shot at hosting a first-round playoff game — the Tornado also needs Union County to beat McLean County.
• Good news for Marshall County quarterback Denver Seay. His wrist isn't fractured, as was first suspected, and he will try to practice this week as the Marshals prepare for Henderson County.
"It's a big kind-of contusion-looking thing, all swollen and stuff," Marshall coach Scott Shelton said. "We're going to see if he can grip the ball and if he can be ready to play."
• Let's do another potential tiebreaker update, this one in Class 6A's District 1 race. At the moment, three teams — Graves County, Marshall County and Apollo — are 1-3 in district play, and only one of them will advance to the postseason.
Graves hosts Apollo, so one of those teams will get to 2-3, and Madisonville figures to be there since its taking on district champion Daviess County.
That leaves Marshall, which faces a tough assignment in hosting a Henderson County club that is 5-2 with two close losses to state-ranked teams — the Colonels blew a big lead before falling in overtime to Christian County and were stopped on a goal-line stand in a 34-28 loss to Christian County.
A Marshall win could also create a three-way tie with Madisonville and the Graves-Apollo winner. The Marshals have lost to both Madisonville and Graves, so they need Apollo to win to maintain any shot at a playoff berth.
Madisonville, on the basis of its non-district wins over Caldwell County, Hopkins Central and Hopkinsville, would appear to have an edge in any tiebreaker. Marshall, which beat Calloway County, would have an advantage on Apollo, which figures to be a big underdog in its final two games of the season against heavyweights Lexington Catholic and Owensboro.
Not all of them will be back this week, either.
Kirk Sanderson, perhaps the Tornado's best offensive lineman, went down with a knee injury. The severity of it has yet to be fully determined, but the early prognosis isn't good — there are fears that Sanderson could have a torn ACL.
Two-way tackle Kalmece Wilson pulled a hamstring in pre-game warm ups. Offensive lineman Keary Turnley, who also sees some spot duty on defense, separated a shoulder, and Sam McDowell (also a linebacker) left the game after a recurring shoulder problem caused some numbness and tingling in both of his arms.
"It was like someone put a curse on us at the beginning of the fourth quarter," Tilghman coach Randy Wyatt said. "We ended with two sophomores and a freshman in those spots."
Wyatt said Turnley and McDowell are questionable for this week's district finale with Muhlenberg South, a game Tilghman must win to maintain a shot at hosting a first-round playoff game — the Tornado also needs Union County to beat McLean County.
• Good news for Marshall County quarterback Denver Seay. His wrist isn't fractured, as was first suspected, and he will try to practice this week as the Marshals prepare for Henderson County.
"It's a big kind-of contusion-looking thing, all swollen and stuff," Marshall coach Scott Shelton said. "We're going to see if he can grip the ball and if he can be ready to play."
• Let's do another potential tiebreaker update, this one in Class 6A's District 1 race. At the moment, three teams — Graves County, Marshall County and Apollo — are 1-3 in district play, and only one of them will advance to the postseason.
Graves hosts Apollo, so one of those teams will get to 2-3, and Madisonville figures to be there since its taking on district champion Daviess County.
That leaves Marshall, which faces a tough assignment in hosting a Henderson County club that is 5-2 with two close losses to state-ranked teams — the Colonels blew a big lead before falling in overtime to Christian County and were stopped on a goal-line stand in a 34-28 loss to Christian County.
A Marshall win could also create a three-way tie with Madisonville and the Graves-Apollo winner. The Marshals have lost to both Madisonville and Graves, so they need Apollo to win to maintain any shot at a playoff berth.
Madisonville, on the basis of its non-district wins over Caldwell County, Hopkins Central and Hopkinsville, would appear to have an edge in any tiebreaker. Marshall, which beat Calloway County, would have an advantage on Apollo, which figures to be a big underdog in its final two games of the season against heavyweights Lexington Catholic and Owensboro.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Rays and Phillies ... hallelujah!
This can't be the World Series that Fox was hoping — no, make that praying — for, can it? One figures the powers that be in Rupert Murdoch's warped world weren't hoping for Tampa Bay and Philadelphia, much preferring Boston and Los Angeles.
So, baseball fans everywhere ... rejoice. We won't be subjected to daily stories about tired subjects like Manny Ramirez and Joe Torre and speculation about how both will be received in Boston.
Instead, maybe America can become a little more familiar with Chase Utley, the most unappreciated player in baseball, and guys like Cole Hamels, Pat Burrell and Jayson Werth on the Phillies' side and the young talent in Tampa Bay that few people had heard of before this season — exciting players like B.J. Upton, Evan Longoria, James Shields, Matt Garza and David Price.
So, baseball fans everywhere ... rejoice. We won't be subjected to daily stories about tired subjects like Manny Ramirez and Joe Torre and speculation about how both will be received in Boston.
Instead, maybe America can become a little more familiar with Chase Utley, the most unappreciated player in baseball, and guys like Cole Hamels, Pat Burrell and Jayson Werth on the Phillies' side and the young talent in Tampa Bay that few people had heard of before this season — exciting players like B.J. Upton, Evan Longoria, James Shields, Matt Garza and David Price.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Mid-Continent making a dent locally ...
There will be a clear orange hue to Shawn Yarbrough's second Mid-Continent University baseball team. Yarbrough, hired this summer to breathe some life into the Cougars' fledgling program, signed five players expected to play key roles at Marshall County next spring — catcher Brantley Barrett, third baseman-pitcher Tyler Johnson, second baseman Kody Charlton, outfielder Cameron Kimball and pitcher Kyle Courtney — for the 2010 season.
It's the first signal that Yarbrough's basic recruiting strategy — signing as many top local players as possible — is coming to fruition. And there are signs that others could be on the way, including Lone Oak left-handed pitcher Allen Haase.
"Some of these guys could have signed with (higher-level) schools," Yarbrough said, "but they're buying into the idea that they can play right away and help us get this program turned around. I've said from the time I got here that we can be competitive in our conference if we can get the good local players."
Four of the aforementioned five players started last season for Marshall, which went 27-5 and was upset by Ballard Memorial in the regional semifinals. Courtney didn't play for the Marshals last spring, but showed some potential while pitching American Legion ball last summer.
Yarbrough has also hired a coaching staff with local ties. Former Murray State outfielder Tyler Pittman will serve as Mid-Continent's pitching coach — Yarbrough and Pittman also worked together on Terry Amis' coaching staff for Paducah's American Legion team this summer. Former Community Christian coach Matt Smith will focus on defense.
There is also a possibility that Mid-Continent will play a home series at Brooks Stadium. The idea is that the mid-March weekend series between Mid-Continent and Trevecca Nazarene could be played in Paducah. Carlisle County and Post 31 alum Tim Dunn is expected to be one of Trevecca's top pitchers.
It's the first signal that Yarbrough's basic recruiting strategy — signing as many top local players as possible — is coming to fruition. And there are signs that others could be on the way, including Lone Oak left-handed pitcher Allen Haase.
"Some of these guys could have signed with (higher-level) schools," Yarbrough said, "but they're buying into the idea that they can play right away and help us get this program turned around. I've said from the time I got here that we can be competitive in our conference if we can get the good local players."
Four of the aforementioned five players started last season for Marshall, which went 27-5 and was upset by Ballard Memorial in the regional semifinals. Courtney didn't play for the Marshals last spring, but showed some potential while pitching American Legion ball last summer.
Yarbrough has also hired a coaching staff with local ties. Former Murray State outfielder Tyler Pittman will serve as Mid-Continent's pitching coach — Yarbrough and Pittman also worked together on Terry Amis' coaching staff for Paducah's American Legion team this summer. Former Community Christian coach Matt Smith will focus on defense.
There is also a possibility that Mid-Continent will play a home series at Brooks Stadium. The idea is that the mid-March weekend series between Mid-Continent and Trevecca Nazarene could be played in Paducah. Carlisle County and Post 31 alum Tim Dunn is expected to be one of Trevecca's top pitchers.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
BluegrassPreps.com rankings ...
Class A
1. Beechwood
2. Raceland
3. Lexington Christian
4. Hazard
5. Bellevue
6. Frankfort
7. Louisville Holy Cross
8. Fairview
9. Crittenden County
10. Williamsburg
Class 2A
1. Fort Campbell
2. Newport Catholic
3. Corbin
4. Green County
5. Danville
6. Owensboro Catholic
7. Prestonsburg
8. Middlesboro
9. Louisville DeSales
10. Monroe County
Class 3A
1. Belfry
2. Louisville Central
3. Breathitt County
4. Mason County
5. Russell
6. Sheldon Clark
7. Estill County
8. Harlan County
9. North Oldham
10. Elizabethtown
Class 4A
1. Boyle County
2. Bell County
3. Lexington Catholic
4. North Bullitt
5. Allen County
6. Franklin-Simpson
7. Louisville Western
8. Calloway County
9. Lone Oak
10. Hopkins Central
Class 5A
1. Fort Thomas Highlands
2. John Hardin
3. Bowling Green
4. Owensboro
5. Johnson Central
6. Christian County
7. Louisville Doss
8. Lexington Bryan Station
9. Hopkinsville
10. Ashland
Class 6A
1. Louisville St. Xavier
2. Louisville Trinity
3. Louisville Manual
4. Boone County
5. Louisville Ballard
6. Scott County
7. Madison Central
8. Louisville Male
9. Daviess County
10. Lexington Lafayette
1. Beechwood
2. Raceland
3. Lexington Christian
4. Hazard
5. Bellevue
6. Frankfort
7. Louisville Holy Cross
8. Fairview
9. Crittenden County
10. Williamsburg
Class 2A
1. Fort Campbell
2. Newport Catholic
3. Corbin
4. Green County
5. Danville
6. Owensboro Catholic
7. Prestonsburg
8. Middlesboro
9. Louisville DeSales
10. Monroe County
Class 3A
1. Belfry
2. Louisville Central
3. Breathitt County
4. Mason County
5. Russell
6. Sheldon Clark
7. Estill County
8. Harlan County
9. North Oldham
10. Elizabethtown
Class 4A
1. Boyle County
2. Bell County
3. Lexington Catholic
4. North Bullitt
5. Allen County
6. Franklin-Simpson
7. Louisville Western
8. Calloway County
9. Lone Oak
10. Hopkins Central
Class 5A
1. Fort Thomas Highlands
2. John Hardin
3. Bowling Green
4. Owensboro
5. Johnson Central
6. Christian County
7. Louisville Doss
8. Lexington Bryan Station
9. Hopkinsville
10. Ashland
Class 6A
1. Louisville St. Xavier
2. Louisville Trinity
3. Louisville Manual
4. Boone County
5. Louisville Ballard
6. Scott County
7. Madison Central
8. Louisville Male
9. Daviess County
10. Lexington Lafayette
Tiebreaking math ... Lakers with the edge
There were smiles in the Calloway County football camp this weekend after Hopkins Central knocked off Lone Oak — not necessarily because the Purple Flash went down (that's a bonus, given the blossoming rivalry between the two), but because it gave Calloway new life in the Class 4A district race.
Calloway travels to Hopkins Central next week, and it appears the Lakers control their own destiny in their quest for a district title and the guarantee of home games for the first two rounds of the playoffs.
In the case of a three-way tie where the tied teams have split their games, the tiebreaking formula awards points for games won by a team's defeated opponents. In other words, the tougher your schedule, the more it helps you in such a scenario if you actually win some of those games.
At the moment, Calloway has the edge in the tiebreaker and could pick up several additional points by beating Mayfield this week and Graves County in the regular-season finale. At the moment, it looks like Lone Oak would finish second in the tiebreaker, with Hopkins Central third.
Stay tuned ...
Calloway travels to Hopkins Central next week, and it appears the Lakers control their own destiny in their quest for a district title and the guarantee of home games for the first two rounds of the playoffs.
In the case of a three-way tie where the tied teams have split their games, the tiebreaking formula awards points for games won by a team's defeated opponents. In other words, the tougher your schedule, the more it helps you in such a scenario if you actually win some of those games.
At the moment, Calloway has the edge in the tiebreaker and could pick up several additional points by beating Mayfield this week and Graves County in the regular-season finale. At the moment, it looks like Lone Oak would finish second in the tiebreaker, with Hopkins Central third.
Stay tuned ...
Sunday, October 12, 2008
The state's epicenter of golf?
Typically, far western Kentucky players were all over the leader board at the state boy's golf tournament.
Marshall County's team, the defending state champions, were dethroned by 17-time state champion Louisville St. Xavier, falling by a mere three shots. Defending individual champion Travis Thompson fell short of defending his crown, losing to St. Xavier's David Payne in a playoff.
Teammates Peter Meeks and Patrick Newcomb were fourth and seventh, respectively. Heath's Eric Straub posted a top-15 finish in his final state tournament appearance, and St. Mary junior Sammy Thompson can build on his top-20 finish for next season.
Emma Talley, Caldwell County's remarkable freshman, effectively lapped the field in her record-setting performance in winning the girls' state title, breaking the state record by five shots by going 10-under-par — a record set in 2002 by Leah Wigger of Louisville Assumption, who will be on the LPGA Tour next year.
All of which prompts an observation that golf has easily become far western Kentucky's best high school sport, at least on a state tournament-performance level.
Three different area schools have won the state team championship in boys' golf since 2000 — Paducah Tilghman in 2000, St. Mary in 2005 and Marshall a year ago. The area has also produced four individual champions — Tilghman's Brett Jones in 2000, St. Mary's Ryan Cochran in 2005 and 2006 and Thompson last year.
Marshall's Nick Newcomb was beaten in a playoff for the title in 2004, the same year that Heath's Rick Cochran finished third, which means that Region 1 has been this close to five consecutive state individual titles.
You have to go back to 2003 to find a year in which Region 1 didn't have a boys' team post a top-five finish, either. Marshall tied for third in 2004 and St. Mary went 1-2 in 2005-06, just as Marshall has done the last two seasons. Heath also finished fourth in 2006.
And on the girls' side, the area has produced five straight years of top-five finishes — Talley began a run of those in 2005, when she was a sixth-grader, and Murray's Angela DeBella took third in 2004.
College decisions: Marshall County's top two seniors, Patrick Newcomb and Peter Meeks, are locks to land Division I scholarships. Newcomb, who shot a 65 to win the regional tournament two weeks ago, could land at Central Florida or Florida Gulf Coast. He's also talking to Murray State, where his brother Nick plays — Nick Newcomb won the Ohio Valley Conference title last spring.
Meeks said he's looking at Louisville, in part because of family concerns — his father moved from Florida to Louisville in the last year.
Straub award: Wherever he goes, Straub will be armed with a $500 scholarship awarded to an outstanding senior playing in the state tournament by primary sponsor Leachman Buick-Pontiac-GMC. The scholarship is based on excellence in four areas — academic achievement, leadership, citizenship and sportsmanship.
Straub is also one of the area's best all-around athletes. He is a standout soccer player, a four-year anchor on the defense for a Heath club that has made the state quarterfinals each of the last two seasons, and he was a Paducah Sun All-Purchase selection in basketball.
He will play golf in college. At the moment, it appears he will make a decision between Missouri State, Arkansas State and Eastern Kentucky.
Marshall County's team, the defending state champions, were dethroned by 17-time state champion Louisville St. Xavier, falling by a mere three shots. Defending individual champion Travis Thompson fell short of defending his crown, losing to St. Xavier's David Payne in a playoff.
Teammates Peter Meeks and Patrick Newcomb were fourth and seventh, respectively. Heath's Eric Straub posted a top-15 finish in his final state tournament appearance, and St. Mary junior Sammy Thompson can build on his top-20 finish for next season.
Emma Talley, Caldwell County's remarkable freshman, effectively lapped the field in her record-setting performance in winning the girls' state title, breaking the state record by five shots by going 10-under-par — a record set in 2002 by Leah Wigger of Louisville Assumption, who will be on the LPGA Tour next year.
All of which prompts an observation that golf has easily become far western Kentucky's best high school sport, at least on a state tournament-performance level.
Three different area schools have won the state team championship in boys' golf since 2000 — Paducah Tilghman in 2000, St. Mary in 2005 and Marshall a year ago. The area has also produced four individual champions — Tilghman's Brett Jones in 2000, St. Mary's Ryan Cochran in 2005 and 2006 and Thompson last year.
Marshall's Nick Newcomb was beaten in a playoff for the title in 2004, the same year that Heath's Rick Cochran finished third, which means that Region 1 has been this close to five consecutive state individual titles.
You have to go back to 2003 to find a year in which Region 1 didn't have a boys' team post a top-five finish, either. Marshall tied for third in 2004 and St. Mary went 1-2 in 2005-06, just as Marshall has done the last two seasons. Heath also finished fourth in 2006.
And on the girls' side, the area has produced five straight years of top-five finishes — Talley began a run of those in 2005, when she was a sixth-grader, and Murray's Angela DeBella took third in 2004.
College decisions: Marshall County's top two seniors, Patrick Newcomb and Peter Meeks, are locks to land Division I scholarships. Newcomb, who shot a 65 to win the regional tournament two weeks ago, could land at Central Florida or Florida Gulf Coast. He's also talking to Murray State, where his brother Nick plays — Nick Newcomb won the Ohio Valley Conference title last spring.
Meeks said he's looking at Louisville, in part because of family concerns — his father moved from Florida to Louisville in the last year.
Straub award: Wherever he goes, Straub will be armed with a $500 scholarship awarded to an outstanding senior playing in the state tournament by primary sponsor Leachman Buick-Pontiac-GMC. The scholarship is based on excellence in four areas — academic achievement, leadership, citizenship and sportsmanship.
Straub is also one of the area's best all-around athletes. He is a standout soccer player, a four-year anchor on the defense for a Heath club that has made the state quarterfinals each of the last two seasons, and he was a Paducah Sun All-Purchase selection in basketball.
He will play golf in college. At the moment, it appears he will make a decision between Missouri State, Arkansas State and Eastern Kentucky.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Talley running away with state title
Caldwell County's Emma Talley is on course to roll to her first state golf title. Talley holds a seven-shot lead over Lydia Gumm of North Hardin at the turn in Wednesday's second round at Bowling Green Country Club, but will have to come back on Thursday morning to finish off the competition.
Rain over the last two days pushed the schedule back to the point that Talley didn't finish her first round until Wednesday afternoon. Talley shot an 65 in the opening round and held a seven-shot lead as she stepped on to the No. 1 tee box. Talley was 2-under-par on the front nine, and at the moment Gumm is the only player under par — she was 3-under on the front nine.
Talley and Gumm are playing together, which is nothing unusual for them. They've competed against each other in a slew of regional and national junior tournaments over the years — Dan Talley, Emma's father, estimates they've played more than 50 rounds together over a period of several years — and they are good friends.
This could become an annual battle at the state tournament. Talley is a freshman and Gumm, who leads in points for Kentucky's Miss Golf award, is an eighth grader.
Rain over the last two days pushed the schedule back to the point that Talley didn't finish her first round until Wednesday afternoon. Talley shot an 65 in the opening round and held a seven-shot lead as she stepped on to the No. 1 tee box. Talley was 2-under-par on the front nine, and at the moment Gumm is the only player under par — she was 3-under on the front nine.
Talley and Gumm are playing together, which is nothing unusual for them. They've competed against each other in a slew of regional and national junior tournaments over the years — Dan Talley, Emma's father, estimates they've played more than 50 rounds together over a period of several years — and they are good friends.
This could become an annual battle at the state tournament. Talley is a freshman and Gumm, who leads in points for Kentucky's Miss Golf award, is an eighth grader.
Bluegrass Preps rankings ...
Class A
1. Beechwood
2. Raceland
3. Lexington Christian
4. Hazard
5. Bellevue
6. Frankfort
7. Louisville Holy Cross
8. Fairview
9. Crittenden County
10. Campbellsville
Class 2A
1. Fort Campbell
2. Newport Catholic
3. Prestonsburg
4. Corbin
5. Green County
6. Danville
7. Owensboro Catholic
8. Middlesboro
9. Monroe County
10. Louisville DeSales
Class 3A
1. Belfry
2. Louisville Central
3. Breathitt County at Fleming County
4. Mason County
5. Russell
6. Sheldon Clark
7. Estill County
8. Harlan County
9. North Oldham
10. Elizabethtown
Class 4A
1. Boyle County
2. Bell County
3. Lexington Catholic
4. North Bullitt
5. Lone Oak
6. Calloway County
7. Allen County
8. Franklin-Simpson
9. Louisville Western
10. Hopkins Central
Class 5A
1. Fort Thomas Highlands
2. John Hardin
3. Bowling Green
4. Owensboro
5. Mercer County
6. Johnson Central
7. Christian County
8. Woodford County
9. Louisville Doss
10. Lexington Bryan Station
Class 6A
1. Louisville St. Xavier
2. Louisville Trinity
3. Madison Central
4. Louisville Manual
5. Boone County
6. Louisville Ballard
7. Scott County
8. Daviess County
9. Louisville Male
10. Lexington Lafayette
1. Beechwood
2. Raceland
3. Lexington Christian
4. Hazard
5. Bellevue
6. Frankfort
7. Louisville Holy Cross
8. Fairview
9. Crittenden County
10. Campbellsville
Class 2A
1. Fort Campbell
2. Newport Catholic
3. Prestonsburg
4. Corbin
5. Green County
6. Danville
7. Owensboro Catholic
8. Middlesboro
9. Monroe County
10. Louisville DeSales
Class 3A
1. Belfry
2. Louisville Central
3. Breathitt County at Fleming County
4. Mason County
5. Russell
6. Sheldon Clark
7. Estill County
8. Harlan County
9. North Oldham
10. Elizabethtown
Class 4A
1. Boyle County
2. Bell County
3. Lexington Catholic
4. North Bullitt
5. Lone Oak
6. Calloway County
7. Allen County
8. Franklin-Simpson
9. Louisville Western
10. Hopkins Central
Class 5A
1. Fort Thomas Highlands
2. John Hardin
3. Bowling Green
4. Owensboro
5. Mercer County
6. Johnson Central
7. Christian County
8. Woodford County
9. Louisville Doss
10. Lexington Bryan Station
Class 6A
1. Louisville St. Xavier
2. Louisville Trinity
3. Madison Central
4. Louisville Manual
5. Boone County
6. Louisville Ballard
7. Scott County
8. Daviess County
9. Louisville Male
10. Lexington Lafayette
Friday, October 3, 2008
Football Friday ... Week 6
Each Friday night, my cellphone serves as a clearinghouse for scores between a select group of media types and hardcore fans throughout western Kentucky. Last Friday's batch of text messages, it's safe to say, were a little jolting.
Mayfield, which had never lost to Crittenden County in nine previous meetings, was "physically whipped" according to one observer in a 27-14 loss. Paducah Tilghman, 25-1 against Union County since the two programs became district rivals in 1983, fell 41-35 to the Braves in overtime.
My first impression: two of far western Kentucky's football dynasties are crumbling.
Maybe that assessment is a bit harsh, but one has to wonder. Mayfield is 1-3 — not unprecedented in its recent history, given its traditionally tough non-district schedule — but a district loss (indeed, two in the last two seasons) has to be a little unsettling for longtime Cardinal backers that are used to regular state semifinal appearances.
Tilghman is 1-4 and will probably be 0-5 after the expected forfeit of a district win over Webster County for the use of an ineligible player. Even worse, two of the losses are in district play, which poses a serious threat to the Tornado's chances of hosting a first-round playoff game.
And the Tornado seems to have regressed after a solid showing in its season opener, a 22-15 loss to Christian County in which Tilghman fumbled on a potential game-tying scoring drive in the final minutes.
Only one of them will turn things around tonight.
What's happening?
Some Mayfield fans will tell you the problem is discipline. The view, expressed quietly by some, is that the program — faced with a dwindling student population and talent base — has cut some corners on the disciplinary front to keep its best athletes on the field, and that it could be catching up with the Cardinals.
In Paducah, some are wondering if the administration's decision to give the coaching job to former assistant Randy Wyatt, who had been out of football for three years, without conducting a full search was a wise move. Perry Thomas' last club got off to a slow start last season, but steamrolled through its district competition and made it to the state semifinals.
Mayfield coach Joe Morris admits he is at a loss to explain his team's early-season woes.
"This team has trouble focusing for four quarters, and I don't know the reason for that," Morris said. "We're just so inconsistent. We'll look good for about three series on offense, then it's three-and-out for three or four possessions. Sometimes we look good on defense, then we can't get lined up in the right spots."
Slow starts have been the springboard for some wonderful Mayfield seasons in the past. Paul Leahy's first team, in 1993, was 2-3 with losses to Fulton County (a Class A semifinalist), a 10-0 Graves County squad and a solid Tilghman team. Mayfield then won 10 in a row, including a fourth-quarter comeback that beat a superior Prestonsburg outfit 13-12 in the Class 2A title game.
In 2001, Morris had an injury-riddled squad that was 2-5, then rolled to the state semifinals and led eventual champion Danville at the end of the third quarter in a 17-10 loss in the semifinals.
"We've come out of this stuff before," Morris said, "but it bothers me that we're not playing nearly as well as we could. We're not a great team, but we're better than we've shown."
Wyatt blames turnovers for his team's woes, and admits there have been some distractions. There have been grumblings that some parents are complaining about Wyatt's style of coaching, and the coach held a meeting with parents on the issue earlier this week. Of course, those things are often overlooked when a team is winning games.
Wyatt is unapologetic for his style of coaching and fully expects a midseason turnaround.
"This could be the start of something this week — that's what we're telling the kids," Wyatt said. "We can still win 10 in a row and win a state title. We have the talent here to do it."
• The new alignment for six-class football for the 2009 and 2010 seasons is out, and there is only one change in far western Kentucky. Madisonville, which played up in Class 6A for two years, has dropped back to Class 5A to compete in a district with Hopkinsville, Christian County, Owensboro and Ohio County.
That district may be tougher than the one the Maroons left behind, which still includes Marshall County, Graves County, Daviess County, Apollo and Henderson County.
• If it seems like a slow week, it is. It's a rather light schedule with four of the 16 teams in The Paducah Sun's coverage area — Fulton City, Fulton County, Heath and Trigg County — having off-weeks. The only district game is Calloway County's tussle with outmanned Muhlenberg North, and most of the non-district slate isn't all that attractive.
The best team in western Kentucky this weekend could be an interloper — defending Class 5A state champion Fort Thomas Highlands, which meets Hopkinsville on Saturday afternoon at the Stadium of Champions.
• Marshall County coach Scott Shelton knows his team has a tough task matching up with Owensboro. Shelton said the Red Devils have "opened up their offense a little" with new quarterback Cale Prince, the son of coach (and former Mayfield and UK star) Joe Prince.
"He's a sophomore, about 6-3 and 180 pounds, runs pretty well and throws a pretty good ball," Shelton said. "They run the spread option, and it's a true option. If you key on the pitch back, he can take it himself.
"Their tailback (Yorel Shemwell) is shifty, and he has unbelievable speed. He's not very big, and he won't run over anybody, and you can hem him in for a few plays. But he squirts through there sometimes, and once he gets past the initial wave he's gone."
Mayfield, which had never lost to Crittenden County in nine previous meetings, was "physically whipped" according to one observer in a 27-14 loss. Paducah Tilghman, 25-1 against Union County since the two programs became district rivals in 1983, fell 41-35 to the Braves in overtime.
My first impression: two of far western Kentucky's football dynasties are crumbling.
Maybe that assessment is a bit harsh, but one has to wonder. Mayfield is 1-3 — not unprecedented in its recent history, given its traditionally tough non-district schedule — but a district loss (indeed, two in the last two seasons) has to be a little unsettling for longtime Cardinal backers that are used to regular state semifinal appearances.
Tilghman is 1-4 and will probably be 0-5 after the expected forfeit of a district win over Webster County for the use of an ineligible player. Even worse, two of the losses are in district play, which poses a serious threat to the Tornado's chances of hosting a first-round playoff game.
And the Tornado seems to have regressed after a solid showing in its season opener, a 22-15 loss to Christian County in which Tilghman fumbled on a potential game-tying scoring drive in the final minutes.
Only one of them will turn things around tonight.
What's happening?
Some Mayfield fans will tell you the problem is discipline. The view, expressed quietly by some, is that the program — faced with a dwindling student population and talent base — has cut some corners on the disciplinary front to keep its best athletes on the field, and that it could be catching up with the Cardinals.
In Paducah, some are wondering if the administration's decision to give the coaching job to former assistant Randy Wyatt, who had been out of football for three years, without conducting a full search was a wise move. Perry Thomas' last club got off to a slow start last season, but steamrolled through its district competition and made it to the state semifinals.
Mayfield coach Joe Morris admits he is at a loss to explain his team's early-season woes.
"This team has trouble focusing for four quarters, and I don't know the reason for that," Morris said. "We're just so inconsistent. We'll look good for about three series on offense, then it's three-and-out for three or four possessions. Sometimes we look good on defense, then we can't get lined up in the right spots."
Slow starts have been the springboard for some wonderful Mayfield seasons in the past. Paul Leahy's first team, in 1993, was 2-3 with losses to Fulton County (a Class A semifinalist), a 10-0 Graves County squad and a solid Tilghman team. Mayfield then won 10 in a row, including a fourth-quarter comeback that beat a superior Prestonsburg outfit 13-12 in the Class 2A title game.
In 2001, Morris had an injury-riddled squad that was 2-5, then rolled to the state semifinals and led eventual champion Danville at the end of the third quarter in a 17-10 loss in the semifinals.
"We've come out of this stuff before," Morris said, "but it bothers me that we're not playing nearly as well as we could. We're not a great team, but we're better than we've shown."
Wyatt blames turnovers for his team's woes, and admits there have been some distractions. There have been grumblings that some parents are complaining about Wyatt's style of coaching, and the coach held a meeting with parents on the issue earlier this week. Of course, those things are often overlooked when a team is winning games.
Wyatt is unapologetic for his style of coaching and fully expects a midseason turnaround.
"This could be the start of something this week — that's what we're telling the kids," Wyatt said. "We can still win 10 in a row and win a state title. We have the talent here to do it."
• The new alignment for six-class football for the 2009 and 2010 seasons is out, and there is only one change in far western Kentucky. Madisonville, which played up in Class 6A for two years, has dropped back to Class 5A to compete in a district with Hopkinsville, Christian County, Owensboro and Ohio County.
That district may be tougher than the one the Maroons left behind, which still includes Marshall County, Graves County, Daviess County, Apollo and Henderson County.
• If it seems like a slow week, it is. It's a rather light schedule with four of the 16 teams in The Paducah Sun's coverage area — Fulton City, Fulton County, Heath and Trigg County — having off-weeks. The only district game is Calloway County's tussle with outmanned Muhlenberg North, and most of the non-district slate isn't all that attractive.
The best team in western Kentucky this weekend could be an interloper — defending Class 5A state champion Fort Thomas Highlands, which meets Hopkinsville on Saturday afternoon at the Stadium of Champions.
• Marshall County coach Scott Shelton knows his team has a tough task matching up with Owensboro. Shelton said the Red Devils have "opened up their offense a little" with new quarterback Cale Prince, the son of coach (and former Mayfield and UK star) Joe Prince.
"He's a sophomore, about 6-3 and 180 pounds, runs pretty well and throws a pretty good ball," Shelton said. "They run the spread option, and it's a true option. If you key on the pitch back, he can take it himself.
"Their tailback (Yorel Shemwell) is shifty, and he has unbelievable speed. He's not very big, and he won't run over anybody, and you can hem him in for a few plays. But he squirts through there sometimes, and once he gets past the initial wave he's gone."
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