Central holds on against Lyon County

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

MORTONS GAP — Ahead 21 points to start the fourth quarter, the Hopkins County Central basketball team felt no pressure from visiting Lyon County, but that did not last long on Monday evening.

The Lyons chipped away at the deficit and cut it to four with 1:50 remaining in the game, but Central displayed its poise and ended the contest on its own run for an 80-70 victory in the last game of the Hopkins County Central Holiday Classic.

Leading comfortably to begin the fourth, the Storm needed a 10-4 run to stave off Lyon County.

“Coach Bell, he pushes us to keep the lead,” junior Je’Vonte Hughes said. “We had a let down, but we came back with a spark and we pulled it out and came out with a win.”

Hughes’ offense throughout the first 24 minutes greatly contributed to Central’s sizable lead.

Hughes, a 5-9 guard, slashed and dashed in transition and through traffic, sometimes taking on as many as three defenders in the lane in an effort to get to the free-throw line.

By evening’s end, Hughes amounted a game-high 27 points and earned player of the game recognition.

Coach Matt Bell said it was Hughes’ seven assists that really stood out though.

“He’s so much better this year than last year because he gets people involved,” Bell said. “Last year, he was still learning that process and trying to figure it out. He draws so much attention that the other guys on the floor have to be ready for something to happen.”

As for deciding whether to go to the hoop or kick out, Hughes said his judgment lies within the amount of space in front of him.

“It depends on how big the hole is to the basket,” he said. “If two people collapse, I hit the open man. If they don’t, I just go all the way.”

Post player Chuck Jones secured a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds to go along with four blocks. Jones’ three-pointer as time expired in the third quarter gave the Storm a 62-41 advantage.

After the game, Bell said Central scored on 12 of its last 15 possessions in the third while Lyon converted just one time in its last eight touches.

The Lyons did not let their third quarter ineffectiveness haunt them down the stretch though.

“Basketball is a game of runs and we really preach that,” Bell said. “When you play quality teams, they’re going to put runs together.”

During the final minute of the game, Jones made two more keys plays to lock down the victory. The first came on an outlet pass to teammate Josh Riley, who hauled in the toss and converted on a reverse lay-up to move ahead seven points.

On the Storm’s next offensive possession, Jones pumped from deep on the wing, drove to the rim and gave Central a 76-67 lead with 50 seconds left.

Jones said his points did not come easy battling against Lyon’s Ramsey Walker, who amassed 21 points of his own.

“He’s a real good post player,” he said. “You can learn a lot from him. You have to respect him and know what he’s trying to do and not let him do that.”

Central returns to action 4:30 p.m. E.T. on Friday in the 5th/3rd Classic at Lexington Catholic.

LCHS (6-2) 15 16 10 19 – 70

HCCHS (6-2) 21 15 26 18 – 80

LCHS: Ramsey Walker 21 Mitchell Peeler 14 Taylor Gray 10 Bryant Houk 8 Warron Sutton 5 Aaron Corley 4 Brandon Crady 4 Casey Kinnis 2 Timmy Perdue 2

HCCHS: Je’Vonte Hughes 27 Chuck Jones 20 Josh Riley 13 Dan Croft 8 Cameron Tabor 7 Corey Coble 4 Justin Vanvactor 1

Saturday’s game

After 24 minutes of back-and-forth basketball, Hopkins County Central and Union County entered the fourth quarter locked in a tie ballgame on Saturday.

That’s when the Storm (5-2) darted ahead to capture a tough 51-43 victory against Union County (1-7) in the Hopkins County Central Holiday Classic.

Turnovers plagued Central in the beginning, but coach Matt Bell said his team made better decisions as the game progressed.

“We emphasized when you take care of the basketball and don’t turn the ball over, it prevents (Union) from being able to score off their defense and we did a better job of that in the second half,” Bell said.

Junior guard Josh Riley put forth his greatest effort at the right moment, scoring six points in the fourth quarter. After a missed Chuck Jones’ three-pointer, Riley slipped inside for the tip-in. The bucket gave the Storm a five-point lead with 3:35 left in the game.

“Chuck likes to step out and shoot and that’s fine because he can shoot,” Riley said. “I like to get in and get rebounds every now and then.

“I couldn’t find my rhythm from outside, so I started crashing the boards and got some put-backs.”

One possession later, senior guard Corey Coble sent an outlet pass to 6-9 Dan Croft, who thundered down the court and slammed the ball home. Croft’s dunk ignited the crowd and put Central ahead by seven.

The Storm continued to build upon their lead in the game’s final minutes, leading by as many as 10.

After the game, Croft described his strategy when he’s battling inside during a close game.

“If they’re guarding you, kick it back out,” he said. “If they’re behind you, try to drop step, go around them and score.”

Croft finished the game with a double-double: 17 points and 19 rebounds. For his efforts, Croft was named the player of the game.

Riley also reached double-digits with 13. Chuck Jones tallied 11 points.

UCHS (1-7) 13 14 8 8 – 43

HCCHS (5-2) 15 12 10 16 – 51

UCHS: Torez Jones 11 Fabian Curry 8 Levi Brown 6 Devin Foster 6 Riley Hall 5 Kren Rister 5 Justin Price 2

HCCHS: Daniel Croft 17 Josh Riley 13 Chuck Jones 11 Je’Vonte Hughes 6 Connor Moore 4

Tilghman overcomes HCC

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

MORTONS GAP — Four games in four days can be difficult on a high-school student athlete’s body and although the Hopkins County Central girls basketball team extended its losing streak to seven games, the Lady Storm exhibited the ability to find open shots.

Central (1-7) played visiting Paducah Tilghman (7-1) to a 12-point game at halftime, but the mighty Blue Tornado overcame the Lady Storm for a 65-44 win in the final day of the Hopkins County Central Holiday Classic.

Paducah Tilghman never trailed during the game, but Central threatened to considerably slash its deficit in the first half.

“I thought in the first quarter and some in the second quarter, we were working hard to get into position to get good shots,” coach Jennifer Flener said. “For some reason, we’re just forcing our shots, we’re not squaring ourselves up to the basket … dothink we were able to get the looks, we just weren’t able to finish.”

Senior Whitney Orange cleaned up a missed shot just minutes into the game to cut Paducah Tilghman’s lead to 12-6. Also in the first quarter, Brittney Orten and Amber Coakley teamed-up to break the Blue Tornado defense. Orten lobbed a smooth pass over the opposition to Coakley, who layed in the ball for two easy points.

With point guard Hannah Murphy out to sickness, Orten has had to assume more ball-handling duties, but Flener said she’s liked Orten’s effort.

“I’m asking a lot of Brittney Orten to be the one,” she said. “She plays extremely hard and she gives me everything she’s got.”

Down by 16 points with one minute to go in the first half, freshman forward Ashley Flener made a pair of free-throws and then hit a floater in the lane as time expired to enter the locker room down 36-24.

The Blue Tornado extended their lead during the third quarter as the Lady Storm continued to struggle finding a go-to scoring threat.

“We don’t work hard enough to get the ball on the wing or anywhere for that matter,” Flener said. “Until we decide we’re going to get open, nobody is going to be a good shooter on the team because we’re not going to be able to get the ball to anybody.”

As the game winded to a close in the fourth, Flener inserted her substitutes.

“I felt like the five that were out on the floor at the end of the game, they worked hard and they were making shots,” Flener said. “They were playing good defense, making deflections, getting steals and they cut the score for us. … I felt like that last group of five really worked hard.”

Among the subs that shined in their limited time was Krhea Orten, who reached the line twice and hit a three-pointer from the right corner.

“She’s a great ball player and I think it speaks a lot of her to be playing varsity as a seventh grader,” Flener said of Orten, who is the team’s latest addition to the varsity roster. “She can handle the ball very well and I think if she can get in a minute here, two minutes there and get that confidence I think she’ll be fine.”

Blue Tornado guard Natalie Shumpert earned the player of the game award for her game-high 16 points.

Central will enjoy a bit of a break before hitting the court again at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 3 against Hopkinsville.

PTHS (7-1) 20 16 17 12 – 65

HCCHS (1-7) 9 15 12 8 – 44

PTHS: Natalie Shumpert 16 Chelsey Shumpert 13 Brandy Allen 9 Breonna Jackson 9 Megan Bunte 6 Destiny Skinner 6 Madyson Shelton 4 LaQuesha Prather 2

HCCHS: Amber Coakley 12 Ashley Flener 11 Whitney Orange 6 Brittney Orten 5 Krhea Orten 3 Shalara Wells 3 Cassandra Haley 2 Courtney Snodgrass 2

Sunday’s game

Struggling to find rim and rhythm, offense did not come easily for the Hopkins County Central Lady Storm basketball team on Sunday.

Central netted just three points in the first eight minutes of play and never hit double-figures in any single quarter, losing 52-26 to Central Hardin in the Hopkins County Central Holiday Classic.

The Lady Storm once again struggled to break the full-court press and fell into making mistakes by forcing passes and becoming trapped.

Down 23-4 in the second quarter, Amber Coakley attempted to spark Central to life. Coakley scored six points in 52 seconds and helped rally her team to finish the half on an 8-2 run.

That success did not carry over to the second half, however as the Lady Bruins pulled away for an easy victory.

Central Hardin’s Christian Harper scored 12 points and was named player of the game.

CHHS (6-2) 12 13 19 8 – 52

HCCHS (1-6) 3 9 5 9 – 26

CHHS: Katie Fritts 17 Christian Harper 12 Alanna Stanton 7 Elena Hitch 5 Abbi Goedde 4 Kristina Krupinski 4 Holly Cox 3

HCCHS: Amber Coakley 8 Brittney Orten 5 Brooke Daugherty 3 Shalara Wells 3 Ashley Flener 2 Krhea Orten 2 Cassandra Haley 1 Whitney Orange 1 Courtney Snodgrass 1

Second-half letdown gets best of Central

Saturday, December 20, 2008

MORTONS GAP — A second-half letdown got the best of the Hopkins County Central girls’ basketball team on Friday evening after playing evenly with the Hopkinsville Tigers for 16 minutes in the opening game of the Hopkins County Central Holiday Classic.

Central (1-4) trailed by just one point at halftime despite many turnovers, but Hopkinsville (2-3) turned on the offense while the Lady Storm labored to create baskets in a 65-39 loss.

For the second straight game, Central lost by 20 or more points after being within one point of its opponent at intermission.

“We can compete with these teams, but when the second half happens, I don’t know if these kids are satisfied but we have to find a way to put four quarters together,” Flener said.

Down six points early in the third quarter, the Lady Storm’s Brooke Daugherty nailed a long jumper to pull within four. The shot would be one of Central’s last highlights though as Hopkinsville ripped off a 14-2 run to end the quarter.

Central senior Amber Coakley said the Lady Storm simply could not recover quickly enough.

“We got down and let that momentum drop and we had problems keeping the momentum from the first half going in the second half,” she said. “That’s just something we’re going to have to work on. Keep our confidence up and not quit.”

The fourth quarter did not treat Central any better; Hopkinsville outscored the Lady Storm 17-7 in the final eight minutes of action.

Although the halftime score indicated Central played Hopkinsville evenly, the Lady Storm committed many turnovers in the first half.

Lady Tigers coach Tonya Wells employed a full-court press in the first half that kept Central rather off-balance.

“We did good things at times and then just got crazy with the ball and did things we don’t ever do in practice,” Flener said of her team’s miscues.

Early on in the second quarter, the Lady Storm attempted a few “home run” passes to go over the full-court press, but found that equally unsuccessful.

Fortunately for Central, Coakley put the team on her shoulders and got to work. At one point, Coakley scored eight straight points for the Lady Storm to pull the team within one at 21-20.

“The momentum just kept me going and I wanted to get us up at half,” Coakley said.

On Central’s next offensive possession, Hopkinsville left Courtney Snodgrass open beneath the basket. Snodgrass waited, accepted the pass and put in the easily lay-up to go ahead.

The Lady Tigers and Lady Storm traded baskets in the final minute with Hopkinsville taking a 25-24 lead into halftime.

Central’s Brittney Orten scored just a single point, but Flener said the senior’s defense stood out

“She was diving on the floor in the backcourt, three times in a row when we were down by 30,” Flener said. “She does that every day.”

Flener also said she was impressed by the defensive play of Daugherty and Shalara Wells who helped keep Hopkinsville’s guard combo of Sharae Wilson and Jessica Hobson to 13 points.

While the Lady Storm prevented the guards from creating a lot of production, Lady Tiger post players Christy Soldo and Marla Boyd combined for 30 points.

“(Boyd) did a great job attacking the boards and putting back and making all her shots,” Flener said. “We keyed the guards we needed to stop, but we let (Boyd) get double-digits tonight. We just have to find a way to balance everything.”

The loss marks Central’s fourth in a row, but the Lady Storm will look to get back to winning ways at 12 p.m. against Union County (1-2).

n Tuesday’s scheduled high school basketball boys-girls doubleheader between Madisonville-North Hopkins and Hopkins County Central will be made-up Jan. 29. Originally postponed for inclement weather, the girls will begin the evening at 6 p.m. and be followed by the boys contest at 7:30 p.m.

HOPKINSVILLE 13 12 23 17 — 65

HOPKINS COUNTY CENTRAL 12 12 8 7 — 39

Hopkinsville (65) — Marla Boyd 16, Christy Soldo 14, Ashlee Cole 9, Shikeya Miller 9, Jessica Hobson 7, Sharae Wilson 6, Desherica Edwards 2, Gena Manning 2

Hopkins County Central (39) — Amber Coakley 15, Brooke Daugherty 5, Shalara Wells 5 Whitney Orange 4, Courtney Snodgrass 4, Ashley Flener 3, Krhea Orten 2, Brittney Orten 1

Dawson drops heartbreaker to Caldwell

Friday, December 19, 2008

DAWSON SPRINGS — A final play to a high school basketball game could not have been drawn up any better.

Unfortunately, Dawson Springs didn’t write the ending.

Tied at 75 with less than 10 seconds in the game, Caldwell County’s Brandon Sigler took what appeared to be the final shot of regulation. The ball sailed to the basket and missed.

Two more Tiger misses followed before the ball tipped back to Sigler, who grabbed the rebound in the middle of the lane and sent it to the bottom of the basket, a 77-75 Dawson loss.

Sigler scored just six points in the game, but his final two could not have been any more heartbreaking for the Panthers.

Dawson (2-4) led 74-68 with two and one-half minutes in the game, but Caldwell hit a hot streak while the Panthers were ice cold from the free-throw line, shooting one-of-six in the game’s final two minutes.

After Wes Mitchell missed a pair with 1:05 remaining, Tron Gray collected the rebound and sprinted the length of the floor for a lay-up and 75-74 Tiger lead.

Eathan Scott tied the game with 35 seconds on a free-throw, but Caldwell (1-4) held possession for the final shot. As time ticked down, the Tigers set up their play; Sigler missed the first time, but made his last shot of the game count.

The game’s final minutes were a mirror image of the rest of the game with many ties and lead changes throughout.

An unconventional four-point play swung the momentum to Dawson’s favor with the second quarter winding down.

With Dawson down 34-28 in the second quarter, Scott drove the lane and lifted up for a lay-up when Caldwell’s T.J. Miller made the foul and leapt into the air. Miller’s momentum carried him toward the hoop and he stopped by hanging on the rim.

Miller’s acrobatics resulted in a technical foul and goal-tending. Scott converted the personal foul free-throw and Aaron Duke made one-of-two on the technical free throws. The Panthers retained possession on the play and later Duke made one-of-two free-throws on another personal foul, pulling Dawson within a single point.

On the Panthers’ next offensive possession, Scott beat his man off the dribble and went in for two more. One minute later, Duke accepted a pass on the wing and broke the Tiger zone for an easy bucket and a three-point lead.

Dawson led 37-36 heading into halftime.

The Panthers broke out of the intermission on an 8-0 run to take the game’s highest lead at 44-36. Propelling the run was Scott, who knocked down a long jumper and then a three-pointer from the top of the key to cap the run.

Caldwell’s Gray would not let Dawson take the game without a fight. Gray put up a game-high 38 points and continually brought the Tigers back from nearly falling out of contention many times.

Trailing 57-51 with less than a minute in the third quarter, Gray hit back-to-back threes from opposite corners to tie the game.

Dawson led by as many as seven with three and one-half minutes to go in the fourth. That mark came when Scott made a steal and missed a breakaway lay-up, but Brandon Braxton cleaned up the play by converting on the rebound, a 72-65 advantage.

By game’s end, the Panthers had three players in double-figures, but could not capture the most important statistic, the win. Duke led Dawson with a game-high 30 points. Scott posted 17 while Mitchell pitched in with 15.

CALDWELL COUNTY 23 13 21 20 — 77

DAWSON SPRINGS 16 21 23 15 — 75

Caldwell County (77) — Tron Gray 38 Jordan Choate 12 Brandon Sigler 6 Marcus Wimbleduff 6 Brad Dixon 5 T.J. Miller 4 Whitney Wisdom 4 Joseph Bubba Stone 2 Kody McGregor 1

Dawson Springs (75) — Aaron Duke 30 Eathan Scott 17 Wes Mitchell 15 Braxton Burden 6 Brett Cobb 4, Jacob Patton 3

Caldwell County rolls over Dawson

Friday, December 19, 2008

DAWSON SPRINGS — Jeff Miller’s Dawson Springs Lady Panthers basketball team learned a lot about itself with strong first and fourth quarters during its matchup with Caldwell County on Thursday evening.

Still, the squad could not come away with its first victory of the season.

Down 9-0 to begin the game, the Lady Panthers (0-4) rallied to close the gap to 15-10 at the end of the first quarter. Later, in the fourth, Dawson matched its opposition’s effort and nearly outscored the Lady Tigers (4-0), but the game’s middle quarters heavily favored Caldwell in a 60-33 loss.

“One thing about the girls we didn’t realize — we are fighting as hard as we can,” Miller said. “They did not let down, they did not give up. During that first quarter they showed me a lot of heart, defensively and offensively, and I was very proud of them for that.”

After 60 seconds of play in the first quarter, the Lady Tigers already held a 7-0 advantage and Dawson had yet to advance the ball to its own half of the court.

Savannah Pepper and Jayme Jackson gave the Lady Panther

offense fits as each created multiple steals and converted turnovers into points in transition.

“It goes back to we’re young and our fundamentals are not where they need to be,” Miller said. “They held the ball and didn’t handle the pressure very well. We’re just inexperienced right now.”

Dawson’s inside trio of Shelby Merrell, Brook Randolph and Emilee Workman manufactured the bulk of the Lady Panthers’ production by diligently working in the paint. Back-to-back buckets by Randolph and Merrell cut the Caldwell lead to 11-8 early on.

Pepper and Jackson combined for 10 points during the second quarter while Dawson struggled to find an offensive rhythm. Merrell and Workman were the lone Lady Panthers to knock down field goals in the second quarter as Dawson trailed 31-15 heading into intermission.

Caldwell increased its lead to 24 points with eight minutes remaining, but the Lady Tigers scored just three more points than Dawson during the fourth quarter, 17-14.

“We finally handled the pressure a little bit better,” Miller said of his team’s improvement. “We moved the ball well and if we do that more often, we get more shots and when we did get shots, we knocked them down.

“We got open lay-ups down low and shots outside. We’re just not consistent and that just comes back to we’re a young team.”

Leading the charge for the Lady Panthers in the fourth was Randolph and Workman. Just minutes into the final quarter of play, Randolph nailed consecutive three-pointers to cut the lead to 47-25.

“Brooke, she gets in the corner or any where on the floor and she’s open, she usually hits them,” Miller said.

Workman scored the team’s next four points on a long jumper and then worked coast-to-coast for a layup after a steal.

Randolph finished with a team-high 13 points and Workman represented Dawson’s other double-digit scorer with 10. For Caldwell, Jackson and Pepper paced the Lady Tigers with 17 and 13 points respectively.

CALDWELL COUNTY 15 16 12 17 – 60

DAWSON SPRINGS 10 5 4 14 – 33

Caldwell County (60) — Jayme Jackson 17, Savannah Pepper 13, Emily Meeks 7, Casey Stone 5, Cassie Yates 5, McKenzie Ames 4, Jesse Stone 4, Olivia Newby 2, Laykin Peek 2, Carlyn Williams 1.

Dawson Springs (33) — Brook Randolph 13, Emilee Workman 10, Shelby Merrell 8, Rihana McKnight 2.

Holiday Classic is good competition

Friday, December 19, 2008

Christmas may be a few days away, but local high school basketball teams will be firing up the holiday basketball tournament schedule this weekend, highlighted by Hopkins County Central’s Holiday Classic.

The Classic begins at 6 p.m. today and continues through Monday for a total of 22 games. The Lady Storm (1-3) will kick off the event when they host Hopkinsville (1-3). The Storm will take on Christian-Academy Louisville following the girls’ contest.

Classic organizer and Central athletic director Nancy Oldham said she’s looking forward to some good competition in the event’s second year.

“You’ve got your basic format that you had last year, so all the things that maybe didn’t go so well last year, hopefully we have the kinks worked out, and we feel like we have some really good teams, and it will be a great tournament with some great games,” she said.

Both Central teams will be guaranteed four games and play opponents in a round-robin format.

Oldham said that style was chosen because as a former coach, she preferred to have locked-in games, but there are other advantages as the host school.

“Our kids get to play at home and sleep in their own beds,” she said. “The boosters don’t have to be out a lot of money sending the kids on the road. Parents don’t have to be away from home during this time and the basketball coaches are happy because they get games in.

“I know when I was a coach, during Christmas time, it seemed like that was when your team really started to come together, really started improving because you had the opportunity to play a lot of games in a short period of time.”

After each contest, certificates will be awarded to a player of the game and at the conclusion of the tournament trophies will be given to the top teams.

Last year’s tournament took place after Christmas, but with Central’s boys participating in the Fifth/Third Classic this year, the event was moved before the holiday.

For the Lady Storm, the Classic will be an opportunity to improve on their slow start, which has been marked by a high number of turnovers per game.

“Our main thing looking into these next four games is to slow the pace down and try to run at the half-court set and work our offenses,” coach Jennifer Flener said.

Central has struggled at point guard because starter Hannah Murphy has been out with an illness. Murphy, a junior, was diagnosed with mononucleosis this week and will be out at least three more weeks.

Freshman Shalara Wells will take Murphy’s starting spot and fellow freshman Kaitlyn Orten has been called up to the varsity roster as well.

Flener said she’s aware of Hopkinsville’s athleticism and shooters, led by guards Jessica Hobson and Sharae Wilson and has told her team to focus on one game at a time..

“We’re not preparing for Union or Central Hardin or Paducah Tilghman until the game we have the day before is over,” Flener said.

On the boys’ side, coach Matt Bell will lead the Storm against Christian-Academy Louisville to begin the weekend. Central has strung together three consecutive wins after a season-opening loss at Webster County.

Most impressive of Central’s wins was a 69-61 victory over Muhlenberg North.

The biggest tests for both the Central boys and girls will come Monday when the squads take on Lyon County and Paducah Tilghman, respectively, to end the Classic. Entering Thursday evening’s play, both Lyon and Paducah Tilghman had 3-0 records.

While Central will be hosting its own event, the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams of Madisonville-North Hopkins will be hitting the road.

The Maroons (3-2) will head to Fairdale and play at 9 p.m. Friday against Pleasure Ridge Park (5-1) while the Lady Maroons play a to-be-determined opponent in the Lexington Catholic Republic Bank Holiday Classic. The North girls will play 1 p.m. Saturday against Betsy Lane.

Following opponents for both teams will be determined by the outcome of their opening games.

For Dawson Springs, the Lady Panthers play at 9 a.m. Saturday against Trigg County at the Lady Wildcats’ 12 Games of Christmas and the boys will play at 11 a.m. Saturday against Larue County in the Kentucky Machine and Engineering Christmas Classic.

The Webster County Trojans will play at 7 p.m. at Ohio County in the Eagle Classic.

Tradewater Pirates ink five players for 2009 season

Thursday, December 18, 2008

The Tradewater Pirates increased their roster by five on Monday when the organization announced the signed contracts of four players from Nicholls State University (La.) and one from Oral Roberts University (Okla.).

Of the newest Pirate players, three are infielders and two will roam the outfield.

Tradewater coach Brandon Kitch said recruiting players he has not personally seen can be difficult, but the one common denominator between the five is all are renowned for their quickness.

“Doing this and not going out and watching these guys play, you’re hoping you can take the word from the coaches and every one said they could fly, could run well especially in the outfield,” Kitch said. “That’s what I like. I like guys that can go get it and run balls down in the gap.”

Kitch said the four players from Nicholls State came as a result of a conversation he had with Colonels head coach Chip Durham.

When Kitch called Durham, he inquired if 2008 Pirate Kevin Schlegel would like to return, but instead got four different players.

“They told me about some guys that could play and be contributors to the Pirates,” Kitch said. “I’ve never been around any Nicholls State guys, but from what I understand they’re very well-coached and play the game right.”

From Nicholls State, Tradewater will have Michael Cagley and Beau Faulk in the infield with Lanc Crochet and Drew Snider in the outfield.

Cagley, a freshman, will split time behind the plate and at first baseman. During his senior season in high school, Cagley, at 6-0, 185 pounds, earned a first team all-district distinction and honorable mention all-state (La.).

Faulk will work the opposite infield corner at third base. With a 6-0, 220-pound frame, Kitch said Faulk can “swing it a little bit.” As a senior in high school, Faulk hit .423 with five home runs and 11 doubles, but redshirted in 2008 with Nicholls State.

In the outfield, Kitch said tracking down fly balls should be no problem for Crochet, a 5-10, 180-pound speedster.

“Supposedly he can run pretty good and is very good offensively and defensively for that matter,” he said.

Snider, at 5-10, 160 pounds, will be the veteran of the Colonel group as he enters his junior year; he spent his first two collegiate seasons with Meridian Community College (Miss.) where he was named all-region in 2007.

The most notable sign of the latest round of Tradewater signees may be Oral Roberts’ Colby Price, who has made a name as a defensive specialist at shortstop.

“He played 40 games last year and didn’t make an error,” Kitch said. “I honestly believe that pitching and defense are going to win you championships. You can teach guys to hit or you can get guys to hit, but defense is going to help you win.”

When it comes to the defensive side, Kitch said those in the middle of the field are the most key.

“Up the middle I think is more important than any other position,” he said. “You have to be athletic and be able to turn the double play. Between Colby and the second baseman I got coming in and our two centerfielders we got, we’re going to be pretty solid up the middle defensively.”

With the latest roster expansion, the Pirates now have six players and many more close to signing. Each of the latest five players throw and bat right-handed, but Kitch has recruited left-handed batters and pitchers as well.

Assistant coach Brad Cowan has also aided in the recruitment process.

“With Brad on, he’s made some contacts in the last couple days that we’re going to get some guys,” Kitch said. “I’m looking for about three to four left-handed arms that will help us out in those situations, a left-handed starter and some relief guys.”

Currently, Kitch said he has approached 24 players and received 17 verbal commitments. Each player has been given until Jan. 1 to sign or Kitch will look for other players to fill the roster.

Among those Kitch is waiting to receive signed papers from are two right-handed pitchers from Indiana, one pitcher and a position player from Northeastern Junior College (Colo.), and single players from Oklahoma City Community College and Lee University (Tenn.).

“I’m waiting on some other guys that told me they would send in their contracts and their checks this week or after Christmas,” Kitch said. “We’re going to have some team speed from what it looks like on paper and who I’ve talked to.”

Transy's Ashby trades mask for microphone

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

At the conclusion of last spring’s baseball season at Transylvania University, catcher John Ashby removed his mask for the final time and since has strapped on a headset.

Ashby, who graduated from Madisonville-North Hopkins in 2005, hung up his cleats following his junior season after enduring years of pain from nagging sports injuries and now works as a play-by-play announcer for Transylvania.

During his final days as a high school player, Ashby suffered his initial injury against Christian County – one that would come to follow him the rest of his career.

“I was standing in front of home plate and I got kind of taken out at the plate and my knee stuck into the ground,” Ashby said. “I ended up tearing my MCL and meniscus and broke my tibia.”

Many schools that recruited Ashby backed off after the injury and he eventually went to Oakland City University (Ind.) before transferring to Transylvania.

Once with the Pioneers, Ashby’s injuries continued to plague his ability to play on a daily basis. That’s when Transylvania’s sports information director Glenn Osborne made a suggestion for him to get involved behind the scenes.

“When I was hurt, I would sit by him and he would do live stats or whatever and I would sit by him and help him out,” Ashby said. “They wanted me to stay and do stuff in athletics because I’ve been around it, but I wasn’t real sure how it would go, going from playing to the broadcast booth, but it’s been a pretty smooth transition, and I don’t miss it like I thought I would being around it like I am.”

Since the beginning of the Pioneer basketball season, Ashby, a sports information assistant, has been providing play-by-play and color for Transylvania’s live video feed system, which is provided free through its athletics Web site.

The quality of the video typically depends on the user’s Internet capability, Ashby said.

“We basically just do it like any other commentator you would see on TV,” he said.

Getting behind the mic was not too difficult of a situation for Ashby, who said attending many athletic events over his life made him comfortable to take on the job.

“I would go to the games probably anyways, but it’s just

kind of helped me stay with it,” he said.

Ashby’s broadcast debut did not come without its share of mishaps though, which later helped his confidence during his true first airing.

“Actually, the first game that we did, the guy who set it up forgot to plug the Internet in, so the live feed didn’t go through, so it was kind of a practice you could say,” he said. “We had that game where nobody heard us, but the next game it was pretty easy after that because we had one game to practice.”

One player Ashby does not have a hard time obtaining useful information on is Brock Jones, who formerly starred at North and rooms with Ashby.

“It’s pretty neat because I played basketball with him growing up and pretty much been around him my entire life,” Ashby said. “I guess I get a kind of inside track on the information. It helps me out before games. He’ll come home and talk about what they did in practice or who’s hurt, this and that. I can kind of talk about that when I’m on the air.”

In addition to providing play-by-play for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, Ashby said he hopes to provide feeds for Pioneer baseball games “if we can get it set up and rolling,” he said.

When Ashby graduates, he said he plans to get involved with coaching and hopes to join his former coach Scott Vance’s staff at North.

Former Central standout shines

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

On the brink of losing a third consecutive game, University of Georgia basketball player Albert Jackson took control of the final minute in the Bulldogs’ game with Virginia Tech on Dec. 9.

Down one point with 27 seconds left, Jackson, who played three years at Hopkins County Central, provided Georgia with the eventual game-winning shot. Later, on the defensive end, the former Storm standout hauled in Virginia Tech’s final shot in a 67-66 victory.

Needing one point to tie and another to go-ahead, Georgia guard Corey Butler dished inside to Jackson, who tossed in a go-ahead bank shot.

Back on the other end of the floor, the Hokies missed game-winning shots by Hank Thorns and Cheick Diakite. On the second miss, Jackson snatched the ball and was fouled with less than one second to go, sealing the win.

After beginning the season with a 6-1 record, the Bulldog’s suffered back-to-back losses at Western Kentucky (67-63) and Illinois (76-42).

“I was really, really proud of the way we bounced back from our game against Illinois,” Georgia head coach Dennis Felton told the Web site georgiadogs.com. “I liked the way we showed toughness in this game, because it was a war, and we were looking at a deficit most of the game. I was really proud of them down the stretch, when we made plays, both offensively and defensively, to win the game.”

A previous Jackson lay-up with 4:16 remaining gave Georgia a brief 62-60 lead, but Virginia Tech tied the game 33 seconds later.

In the final minutes, just as the rest of the game, neither team proved to be able to throttle past the other until the final shot. The two teams tied 13 times and the lead changed hands 11 times.

Following Jackson’s final minute heroics, the junior captain finished with seven points and five rebounds and was one of three Bulldogs to knock down at least three field goals.

Women’s basketball

Kari Jo Harris and the Lee University Flames handed NAIA No. 1 ranked Union College its first loss of the season, an 88-72 defeat on Saturday.

Harris, who played at Central during her high school days, amounted four points during her nine minutes of floor time.

The Lee win snapped Union’s 46-game regular season winning streak.

Men’s swimming

Transylvania University swimmer Yunan Yang collected a trio of top-three finishes during a dual meet with Warren Wilson College (N.C.) on Saturday.

Yang, who previously swam at Madisonville-North Hopkins, turned in his best performance swimming a leg during the Pioneers’ first-place 200-yard medley relay team (1:47.69).

Later, Yang, a freshman, finished second in the 50-yard freestyle (:24.02) and third in the 500-yard freestyle (6:36.65).

Fellow former Maroons Daniel, Joseph and Stephen Porter also participated at the meet.

Daniel earned four points for Transylvania with a second-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle (2:03.70) and three points for taking third place in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:08.26).

Joseph finished in third in the 200-yard individual medley (2:22.64) and Stephen took second place in the 100-yard freestyle (:54.12).

All three Porter brothers swam together on a 200-yard freestyle relay team.

Women’s swimming

Also at Warren Wilson College, former Lady Maroon swimmers Maggie Davenport and Claire Dorris each captured individual victories.

Davenport held an almost 10-second advantage over her closest competition in the 200-yard individual medley, finishing with a time of 2:29.60. Dorris topped all swimmers in the 100-yard backstroke (1:10.55), defeating her next competitor by six seconds.

After collecting their individual wins, the duo combined to swim on a 200-yard freestyle relay team.

Addition of two teams defies name

Sunday, December 14, 2008 By adding two more teams to the KIT League this off-season, the organization has come to defy its name and resemble more of a Kentucky-Missouri league. Joining the six existing teams from 2008 will be the Sikeston Bulls (Mo.) and West Kentucky Mavericks. The league’s composition consists of five Kentucky teams, two Missouri squads and one from Tennessee. Now with eight teams, the league will divide into East and West Divisions. The Tradewater Pirates will be in the East Division with the Marion Bobcats, Owensboro Oilers and Mavericks. In the West Division will be the Farmington Firebirds, Fulton Railroaders, Union City Greyhounds and Bulls. The Mavericks enter the 2009 season as year-long road team with no home field. Instead, West Kentucky will play their entire schedule at the site of its opponents. The team will be based out of Mayfield though and led by Shawn Yarbrough, who heads the Mid-Continent University baseball team. For the Bulls, the season will be a return to the KIT League. Sikeston played from 2005-2007 and re-enters with new ownership. Pirates head coach Brandon Kitch said there are many advantages to divisional play. “When I was in the Valley League in Virginia we had a North and a South Division and with that it makes it more competitive because you’re playing your own division more than the other side,” he said. In divisional play, East Division teams like the Pirates will play other East teams 10 times and West Division opponents five times for a total of 50 games. At the conclusion of the regular season, the top two teams from each division will battle for a divisional pennant. Then, each division’s winner will match-up to crown a playoff champion. During a Pirates newsletter released Dec. 4, Tradewater general manager Dwight Seymore said the new set-up should create more revenue by reducing the amount of road trips and increasing the number of home contests from 25 to 30. The more competitive atmosphere and inclusion of new teams should also help the KIT create a better brand name. “It’s good for the league because it’s going to draw more fans and the league is going to start getting more well-known around the country, not just in that area,” Kitch said. “The more teams they have, the more publicity they can get.” Kitch added playing any one team too much can lead to familiarity. “If you go out and beat somebody three and four times, then that fifth and sixth time you get lackadaisical, that’s the negative part,” he said. Teams can take advantage of the same aspect and pick up a win to help build confidence during a streak of losing games though, Kitch said. Tradewater and the rest of the KIT League teams will begin the 2009 season on May 29. Notes Not only will the amount of teams in the league expand, so will the roster sizes. KIT League teams will be allowed 24 players, up from 22 in 2008.

Central humbles Tigers

Sunday, December 14, 2008

PRINCETON — If Hopkins County Central’s towering post players Dan Croft and Chuck Jones weren’t enough to overcome undersized Caldwell County, 5-9 guard Je’Vonte Hughes certainly pushed the Storm over the edge and onto victory on Saturday night.

Hughes slashed the length of the floor and used his speed and aerobatics to create havoc for the Tigers defense, propelling Central (3-1) to an 85-46 win against Caldwell (0-4).

“Je’Vonte has an outstanding quickness with the ball and he’s a heck of a reader off that high ball screen,” coach Matt Bell said. “If you try to take one away, he’s going to go the other way.

“We’ve really been working a lot on that. We’re trying to put him in spots where he can use his quickness to make things happen and he’s learning as he goes and doing a great job of it.”

After a rather slow start , Hughes quickly brought the contest to a pace he favored and never let up.

“I just attacked the basket aggressively like I usually do,” Hughes said of his

play. “I gained confidence and just did it for the rest of the game.”

Just minutes into the contest, Hughes hauled in a defensive rebound and sprinted the length of the floor, zig-zagged Tiger defenders and moved in for a lay-up in the first of many similar plays.

Also in the first half, Hughes sped to the middle of the lane and stopped to let a floater continue on toward the basket for two more points. Two possessions later, Hughes left his feet as he raced to the hoop and dropped the ball down near his feet before lifting it back up and going strong to the rim.

Hughes’ teammates picked up his frenetic pace as well as the first quarter progressed. At one point Central scored six points in less than a minute all the while preventing Caldwell from getting on the board.

The Storm ended the first quarter of play on an 11-2 run to take command.

More of the same followed throughout the rest of the half and Central led 44-18 at halftime. Hughes led the way at the break with 11 points.

Although Hughes’ tenacious effort shined through, the Storm utilized a rather balanced effort. As a team, Central combined to force 17 Caldwell turnovers in the first 16 minutes.

With the Storm ahead comfortably, the second half turned into a free-throw shooting contest of sorts for Central and Caldwell County. The two squads combined to shoot 32 free throws during the third quarter. By game’s end, the Storm shot a total of 54 free throws with 15 coming from the hands of Croft.

During Caldwell’s foul fest, three Tiger players fouled out.

“I thought our kids got caught up in the physical match-up instead of worrying about what we have to do,” Bell said of his players’ 20-plus fouls. “But it’s a good win for us and gets us ready to go into Tuesday night.”

Hughes used the opportunity to convert several “old-fashioned threes” by knocking down a few three-point plays en route to 27 points.

Offensively, Central scored a new season-high with their 85 points. On the defensive end, the Storm limited Caldwell to its season low of 46 points.

Joining Hughes in double-figures was Dan Croft with 18 points. Croft also nabbed a double-double with 10-plus rebounds.

Croft said his statistics did not come easily, but he was aware the game was going to be hard-fought in the post.

“We watched film and we knew they were physical, no matter what their size was,” he said. “We knew everybody was physical on their team.

The smaller Tigers line-up did not back down, Croft said.

“Size is a big thing, but position is the bigger thing,” he said. “Little guys can box you out no matter what your position is.”

In junior varsity action, Caldwell defeated Central 55-52.

The Storm next play 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday when they play host to Madisonville-North Hopkins.

HCCHS 24 20 18 23 – 85

CCHS 6 12 15 13 – 46

HCCHS: Je’Vonte Hughes 27 Dan Croft 18 Josh Riley 9 Cory Coble 8 Chuck Jones 8 Nikee Caldwell 6 Cameron Tabor 6 Connor Moore 2 Jessie Almon 1

CCHS: Tron Gray 20 T.J. Miller 8 Kody McGregor 5 Brad Dixon 4 Jared Choate 3 Marcus Wimbleduff 3

Maroons too much for Panthers

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Less than twenty seconds into the second half of Madisonville-North Hopkins’ boys basketball contest with Dawson Springs on Friday evening, the Maroons exhibited in one play how the majority of the night went in a 83-57 North win.

After controlling the in-bounds pass to begin the third quarter, Maroon Robert Hatchett underhand tossed an ally-oop pass to teammate Jon Hood, who gently layed the ball in the hoop over the Dawson defense.

“We’ve been working on that in practice and it felt good to complete it,” Hatchett said after the game of the combo’s designed play. “I wish he could have dunked it, but we’ll take that.”

The duo combined for 24 points in the first half with 12 each and continued to pour it on in the opening minutes of the third quarter.

Following the pair’s first ally-oop hook-up, Hatchett found Hood on the next possession for another mid-air lay-in.

“The second lob, I just kind of looked at him and I don’t know if he heard it, but I said the little code word and he chucked it up there toward the rim,” Hood said. “We have to get it dialed up a little more.”

With the next two North possessions, Hood created a steal and converted on a breakaway lay-up then Hatchett drained a three-pointer to open up a 51-19 advantage.

Although the Panther shooters began to find their touch with increasing ease as the game progressed in the second half, the Maroons never let up and cruised to victory.

During the first half, Hood started the give-and-go connection with Hatchett by making a pass inside, which Hatchett received and went in for a reverse lay-up and the game’s second bucket.

“I think we work well off each other real well,” Hatchett said. “They’re always keying in on him, so that leaves me a lot of open shots and easy ways to drive. It just opens it up for everyone else.”

Later in the first quarter, Hatchett’s brother Carl helped increase the North lead on his own creative shot. Carl hauled in a rebound, went strong to the basket and made the shot despite being fouled. He converted on the ensuing free-throw for a three-point play and 17-4 lead.

Struggling from the field, Dawson did a good job of getting to the free-throw line to create points in the first half.

The Panthers went to the line six times in the second quarter, including three straight possessions.

By game’s end, the Maroons established a new season high for points scored, eclipsing the 79 scored in the team’s previous game against Christian County.

North’s defense also stood out by allowing the squad to move out to such a sizable lead.

“That was our focal point in preparation for this contest,” North coach Marty Cline said. “We wanted to be disruptive...We wanted to make them make some decisions that they might not be comfortable with and when they did that we were fortunate.”

The Panthers tallied just four made field goals in the first 16 minutes of play.

Hatchett said the team’s tenacious effort on the defensive end was a result of hard work throughout the week.

“If you don’t play defense, it doesn’t matter how good you are offensively, you won’t play,” he said. “We get after it in practice and I think that’s really translating.”

Hood made sure to mention the defensive play of teammates J.C. Wade and L.J. Gregory.

“The defense did allow us to get it up there,” Hood said.

“J.C. Wade made huge steals. He made a big steal against

Christian County and made some more tonight. L.J. had some steals. We count deflections because deflections lead to steals.

“One of the things we wanted to do was pressure and we get in the passing lanes and were able to force some turnovers and get some easy buckets.”

Leading by 35 entering the final quarter, Cline found time for some of his reserves to get game-time experience.

Thirteen Maroon players scored at least one point by the game’s final buzzer.

“When our first unit and second unit were on the floor, I though we played defense extremely well,” Cline said. “Overall, defensively I was pleased, but our third unit has a ways to go. At the same time, they were getting valuable experience against their first unit.”

For Dawson, three players reached double-figures led by guard Eathan Scott with 19. Forward Aaron Duke amassed 14 points and Wes Mitchell amassed 13. Each of the three Panther players scored at least 10 points during the second half to decrease the Dawson deficit.

DSHS (2-3) 6 11 15 25 – 57

MNHHS (3-1) 22 20 25 16 – 83

DCHS: Eathan Scott 19 Aaron Duke 14 Wes Mitchell 13 Brett Cobb 8 Ryan McKnight 4 Dayton Reed 2

MNHHS: Jon Hood 28 Robert Hatchett 15 Carl Hatchett 8 Isiah White 8 Andy Christian 4 Joe Kington 4 J.C. Wade 4 Dylan Basham 3 Hayden Holt 3 L.J. Gregory 2 Darin Tomblingson 2 Orlando Green Ryan Robinson 1

Lady Maroons overwhelm Dawson Springs

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Before the Dawson Springs defense could blink, Madisonville-North Hopkins basketball player Tayla Foster scored six points on three straight possessions to open Friday evening’s match-up. By game’s end the junior forward tallied a game-high 38 points in the Lady Maroons’ 94-27 victory.

The Lady Panthers had no answer for Foster, who quickly established her role beneath the basket by converting on each of her eight first-quarter field goals

“I think Tayla has really improved, she’s one of the top players in the state of Kentucky,” North coach John Paul Cummings said. “I think her teammates get her the ball in a lot of right spots and places. The best thing for us is she’s working so hard in practice and it’s paying off in games.”

Foster’s 18 first-quarter points propelled North to a 28-6 advantage after eight minutes of action. Stopping Foster and accumulating points did not come any easier for Dawson as the game progressed.

On the defensive end, the Lady Maroons never allowed the Lady Panthers to get comfortable. North led 49-13 entering the intermission and did not allow more than nine points in any quarter of play.

Cummings said defense has been one of the team’s focal points since defeating Christian County 62-58 on Tuesday.

“We have to be a team and our kids are really buying into team defense, team pressure, team blocking out, team offense and it’s contagious and we’re just real proud of them for buying in and working so hard,” he said.

To start the fourth quarter, Cummings inserted his starting lineup to work on a series of new plays.

On the first North possession of the fourth quarter, guard Heidi Clayton passed inside to Foster, who immediately passed out to Barrett McCracken on the win for a three-point shot.

Then, Clayton pressured a Dawson ball-handler into a five-second call. Lyndi Tedder dribbled down-court and found McCracken for another three-pointer.

During the Lady Maroons’ next possession, Foster forced another turnover and dribbled the length of the court for a breakaway lay-up.

Helping Foster down low throughout the game was Mikuel Harris, who was North’s other double-digit scorer with 11 points.

For Dawson, Brook Randolph scored 11 points as well. Randolph’s three-point play just over two minutes into the game cut North’s lead to 6-3. Randolph drained a three-point basket later in the first quarter for her team’s lone six points in the first eight minutes.

In the second quarter, Randolph recovered an offensive rebound and converted for two points. Shortly thereafter, Randolph knocked down another three-point shot as the half winded down.

Overall, Cummings said he was pleased to see his girls excel in so many aspects of the game.

“It’s 32 minutes, one possession at a time, one play at a time and we’re just trying to work hard,” he said. “We really push them hard at practice and this is supposed to be the fun time. It’s just good to see them get out tonight and get after somebody.”

DSHS (0-5) 6 7 9 5 – 27

MNHHS (2-1) 28 21 15 30 – 94

DSHS: Brook Randolph 11 Tessa Lanham 7 Emilee Workman 5 Sarah Bassett 2 Shelby Merrell 2

MNHHS: Tayla Foster 38 Mikuel Harris 11 Barrett McCracken 8 Lyndi Tedder 7 Desherick McReynolds 6 Kailyn Collins 5 Stacia Hughes 5 Heidi Clayton 4 LaKoyea Hardy 4 Brittany Elliot 3 Troyanna Hardy 3

Friday, December 12, 2008

With cooling temperatures comes the warmth of baseball’s hot stove league news, and the Tradewater Pirates continued to stoke the fire and the fans’ anticipation of a new season by announcing the hiring of assistant coach Brad Cowan this week.

One month after hiring head coach Brandon Kitch, the Pirates welcomed the addition of Cowan, who works as an assistant coach for Pensacola Junior College (Fla.).

Although Cowan’s official title is that of assistant, his duties will include the responsibility of overseeing the pitching staff.

Kitch conducted the hiring process and from nearly a dozen candidates, he chose Cowan for his energy and winning resume.

“He’s young, he’s enthusiastic and he’s at one of the top junior colleges in the country,” Kitch said. “Those are the type of people that I want to be around. I want to be around winners, guys that know how to win and are from programs that expect to win.”

At 22 years old, fans may confuse Cowan’s youthful looks with those of the Pirate players, but Cowan said he feels he’s ready to follow Kitch and brings a lot of knowledge to the team.

“I want to learn, I’m still young,” Cowan said. “I’m not much older than the guys that will be playing for me, but at the same time I know the game.

For the 31-year-old Kitch, he said Cowan’s enthusiasm for acquiring knowledge and experience reminds him of his introduction to coaching.

“I can look back when I was 22, 23 years old and getting into coaching – I was hungry and just wanting to get new information because we all have different types of philosophies,” Kitch said.

Being not far removed from his own playing days, Kitch said Cowan should be able to “be on the same page” as the players when trying to relate.

During Cowan’s tenure as a player, he worked as a left-handed pitcher at three different schools: Wallace State Community College (Ala.), Calhoun Community College (Ala.) and the University of South Carolina at Aiken.

It was during Cowan’s freshman season at Wallace State, when he went to the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colo. and played before crowds of 10,000, that he decided to pursue coaching.

“Ever since then I wanted to be a coach because I wanted other kids to experience that,” he said. “It’s stuff you tell your grandkids.”

Cowan said he knows he will not have a lot of time with the Tradewater pitchers in the short summer season, but still has high hopes for their development.

“I want to get these guys to where they’re in good shape, so when they show up back to their schools their coaches are going to say ‘Wow, these guys really worked this summer,’” Cowan said. “I want them to improve in every aspect of the game whether it’s conditioning, mechanics, whatever it is.”

Playing for different coaches during the summer can be an advantage for college players because the young men may hear the same information, but understand it better coming in a new form of explanation, Cowan said.

During phone conversations with Cowan, Kitch told his assistant he will have free reign when it comes to the pitching aspect, but stressed repetition, not necessarily instruction, is the main goal for most athletes in a summer environment.

Competing in a wooden-bat league, Cowan said he plans to teach the pitchers how to work the inner half of the plate.

“You come in on a guy with a wood bat and it’s going to break his bat and he’s just going to ground out to the pitcher or the third baseman,” he said. “I want these guys to be aggressive and it’s a perfect time for them to attack hitters and get used to that.

“The way baseball is played these days, these guys are too focused on pitching away, away, away and I want these guys to get aggressive and learn how to pitch inside.”

Whether it’s learning how to pitch inside, improving mechanics, or comprehending situations in a new light, Cowan said he wants his players to add to their repertoire and his youth may be just the thing to help him communicate better with the Tradewater pitching corps.

“A lot of times it takes somebody like me for these guys to understand,” he said. “I can relate to them better being young and these guys might look at me and say, ‘Oh he’s our age, he just knows as much as we do,’ but sometimes it takes somebody looking at them.

“They can feel certain things, but they can’t see themselves pitch and when I watch them I can tell them exactly what they’re doing. It’s not that I know so much more than them, it’s having somebody on the outside watching from a different angle.”

Boyd, Toppers wrap up season

Thursday, December 11, 2008 Western Kentucky University linebacker Blake Boyd and the Hilltoppers completed the 2009 season with a 27-3 loss at Florida International University on Saturday, ending the school’s transition period to the Football Bowl Subdivision. Boyd finished the final game of his junior year by collecting three tackles and one pass break-up. The former Madisonville-North Hopkins High School standout was one of just three WKU players to end the game with a pass break-up. Although the Tops led 3-0 after the first quarter, the Golden Panthers outgained WKU 435-180 by game’s end. FIU scored 27 points in the final three quarters, including 14 in the last 11 minutes; all were unanswered. The loss dropped the Hilltoppers’ record to 2-10 on the season and marked the end of their transition to Division I-A. Next year WKU will be bowl-eligible for the first time. Men’s basketball University of Georgia basketball player Albert Jackson recorded a game-high eight rebounds and also collected six points in a 76-42 loss to the University of Illinois on Saturday. The former Hopkins County Central player shot three-of-four from the field. Former North basketball player, Brock Jones amassed six points and seven rebounds in a 55-53 loss to Hanover College (Ind.) on Dec. 3 in Transylvania University’s first defeat of the season. Two days later, Jones, the Pioneer’s sixth man, got a rare start and scored six points and hauled in two rebounds during a 63-55 victory against Manchester College (Ind.) Women’s basketball Angela Mullins, a 2003 Hopkins County Central graduate, scored seven points during Murray State University’s 73-61 win at Eastern Kentucky University in the Racers’ Ohio Valley Conference season-opener on Dec. 4. In addition to her scoring feats, Mullins finished with three rebounds, one assist and one block. On Saturday against Morehead Sate University, Mullins had six rebounds, two points, one assist and one block in an 84-76 overtime loss. Murray hits the hardwood again 2 p.m. Sunday at the University of Evansville. Men’s swimming Four former North swimmers competed for Transylvania University at the DePauw University Invitational (Ind.) on Friday and Saturday as the men finished third of 10 teams. On Friday, all four former Maroons – Yunan Yang, Daniel, Joseph and Stephen Porter – swam together on a 400-yard medley relay team. During the same day, Yang claimed ninth place in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:04.40) to earn nine points for the Pioneers. The next day, Daniel and Joseph swam on separate 400-yard freestyle relay teams. Women’s swimming Former North swimming star Emile Ewing turned in a strong performance during the 2008 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming Short Course National Championships in Atlanta, Ga. during the weekend. Ewing, who now swims for Auburn University, competed on the Tigers’ 800-yard freestyle relay B team. Her team finished in third place in 7:11.49, just six seconds behind Auburn’s A team, which set a new meet-record time. Ewing’s relay team time made the B cuts for the NCAA. On Saturday, Ewing was one of four Tigers to net B cut times in the 100-yard backstroke coming in at :54.78. Then, Ewing earned a provisional cut in the 200-yard backstroke by winning the C-final in 1:57.09. nIn addition to Transylvania’s accomplishments by Yang and the Porter brothers at the DePauw Invitational, former North swimmers Maggie Davenport and Claire Dorris each aided the women to claim fifth place of 10 participating teams. During the competition’s first day, Davenport netted nine points in the 200-yard backstroke and finished the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:19.16. Of 20 competing teams in the 400-yard medley relay, Davenport’s team finished in sixth place. The following day, Dorris swam a leg on one of the Pioneers’ 400-yard freestyle relay teams. Davenport claimed seventh place in the 100-yard backstroke A-final race. Her time of 1:04.39 earned Transylvania 12 points.

Lady Storm fall at Webster County

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

DIXON — For the third straight game, the Webster County girls basketball team racked up the points and on Monday evening it was the visiting Hopkins County Central who fell victim to the Lady Trojans’ high-powered attack.

As Webster (3-0) rallied, Central (1-2) scored just three points in the first quarter, falling behind quickly and eventually losing 86-37.

Lady Trojans coach Christina Whitsell said she was impressed by her team on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball with Webster dominating the full court of play.

A 17-0 Webster run spanning the first and second quarters seemed to knock Central out of the game early while the Lady Storm labored to make shots. Four different Lady Trojan players notched baskets during the run.

Turnovers also kept Central from staving off their opposition. Webster forced the Lady Storm into committing 17 first-half turnovers.’

“We were just out of sync,” Central coach Jennifer Flener said. “We weren’t strong with the ball offensively and Webster County is a team that is going to get up in you everytime on offense or on defense and our kids weren’t ready to be physical.

“We made silly turnovers and we let that get to us and we started hanging our heads, so I think that’s pretty much why our rhythm wasn’t flowing.”

Although Flener said she was proud of Brittney Orten and Cassandra Haley for their ability to bring the ball up the floor, she said the team missed starting point guard Hannah Murphy, who did not play due to sickness.

After falling behind 22-3, the Lady Storm regrouped and played the Lady Trojans to a 18-16 score in the second quarter alone.

“The second quarter was really good and that’s one of the things we talked about during half time,” Flener said. “I thought the kids played with a lot of guts during the second quarter even though we were down. If they had played like that the whole game though, maybe the outcome would have been a little different.”

During the second half, the Lady Trojans opened up the game even further on another momentous rally by putting together a 19-2 run in the third quarter.

Whitsell said her team’s tenacious attitude on defense allowed Webster to excel in shutting down Central’s opportunities. She said she challenges each of her girls to keep their opposing player to zero points and that nearly happened in the first quarter.

Five different players reached double-digit figures for Webster with Lynette Harris and Stephanie Householder leading the way with 14 points a piece. Through three games, Webster has averaged 78 points per contest.

For the Lady Storm, forward Amber Coakley was the lone double-figure scorer with 11. Coakley reached the mark on a three-point play with 6:35 left in the fourth quarter.

In junior varsity action, Webster beat Central 37-23.

The Lady Trojans next play 7:30 p.m. Friday at Union County while the Lady Storm’s next game is 7:30 p.m. Friday at Caldwell County.

HCCHS 3 16 6 12 – 37

WCHS 22 18 27 19 – 86

Central (1-2): Amber Coakley 11 Cassandra Haley 6 Brittney Orten 6 Shalara Wells 5 Whitney Orange 3 Ashley Flener 2 Courtney Snodgrass 2 Brooke Daugherty 2

Webster (3-0): Lynette Harris 14 Stephanie Householder 14 Ellie Steiner 13 Kerstin Hayes 11 Caylee Duncan 10 Natalie Stone 8 Ellie Green 6 Keri Wright 4 Heather Eblen 3 Haylee Householder 2

Coble drives Storm to win over Gators

Sunday, December 07, 2008

MORTONS GAP – Under the weather and behind on the scoreboard, Hopkins County Central’s Cory Coble took charge of the Storm’s offense during the final minutes of the last game of the annual Messenger Tip-Off Classic.

Coble scored just five points, but four came during the most crucial minutes against Greenwood (1-2) and the senior’s 10 assists helped propel Central (1-1) to a 71-66 victory.

“Cory’s a winner,” coach Matt Bell said. “He wasn’t 100 percent tonight. A lot of people didn’t know that going in, but he’s a warrior. He could care less if he ever scores a point. He wants to find the open man.”

Coble’s 10 assists fell just one shy of tying a school-record, but his ability to dribble through traffic and create his own shots in the fourth quarter helped his team create momentum.

Down three points with less than four minutes to go, Coble took an in-bounds pass after a Gator score and raced the length of the court through traffic and right to the basket for two points.

Just inside the two-minute mark, Coble found an open Chuck Jones for two more points to take a 65-64 lead, one the Storm would not surrender.

“Usually whenever you’re going full-speed, somebody is bound to pick you up and it leaves a man open,” Coble said. “I usually think pass then shot, and Chuck was there.”

On Greenwood’s ensuing offensive possession, junior Dan Croft stepped up to make a block and the ball deflected into Coble’s grasp. Coble, a point guard, dribbled toward his basket, but was fouled. His two free-throws gave Central a three-point lead with 1:42 to go.

Croft made another block less than a minute later and a Nikee Caldwell shot increased the Storm’s lead to five.

Central and Greenwood traded points during the final minute, but the Storm eventually escaped with their first victory of the season.

Bell said his team’s ability to make second-half adjustments was the difference in notching the win.

“The fourth quarter was the key,” Bell said. “Our stats show 17 possessions for each team. We scored on 12 of them and they only scored on five, so that tells me we did the right things on both ends.”

Neither team led by more than a half dozen during the game and the two squads entered the intermission tied at 31 all.

In the first 16 minutes of action, both teams struggled handling the ball and each racked up 10-plus fouls in the first half alone.

“We’re not a good team starting out very well and that’s the main thing we need to work on: coming out of the gate better,” Jones said. “We have to learn to play the first half like we do the second half.”

Coble agreed and said the initial speed of the game did not favor Central.

“I think whenever you get that tempo going, you get a little sloppy,” Coble said. “When we started to slow it down there at the end, we started making better passes.”

Coble also said he was proud of the way his team stepped up when Croft and Jones each committed two fouls in the first half.

“I think it showed the heart of some of these people coming off the bench to work hard and make up for it,” he said.

By game’s end five Storm players reached double-figures, led by Je’Vonte Hughes with 14 points. Croft (13), Josh Riley (13), Jones (12) and Caldwell (11) also reached double-digits.

While Central made the game a balanced effort, Greenwood’s Miles Stinson and J.J. Smith each garnered 19 points.

“We just let (Stinson) get too many looks,” Bell said. “I think he had five three’s in the first half and we really wanted to focus on him a little bit more and make sure he didn’t get any open looks and we held him to three points in the second half.”

The Storm learned a lot about themselves by stepping up when the game was on the line, but Jones said he’s not going to remain content.

“We’re learning to play together, but we still have a long way to go,” he said.

HCCHS (1-1): 19 12 18 22 – 71

GHS (1-2): 16 15 21 14 – 66

Central: Je’Vonte Hughes 14, Dan Croft 13, Josh Riley 13, Nikee Caldwell 11, Cory Coble 5, Justin Vanvactor 5

Greenwood: Miles Stinson 19, J.J. Smith 19, Cody Stumbo 8, Will Clayton 6, Jeremy Diggs 4, Dee Anderson 3, Connor Raymer 3, Lane Embry 2, Stefan Iverson 1, C.J. Smith 1

Three games mark slate

Saturday, December 06, 2008

Hopkins County high school basketball fans looking to catch a early-season glimpse of this year’s local boys teams will get such an opportunity this afternoon at Hopkins County Central with the 10th-annual Messenger Tip-Off Classic.

Central will play host this year in the rotating site event and local schools Dawson Springs and Webster County will also join as “home teams.”

Central coach Matt Bell said having so many area teams in the Tip-Off Classic benefits not just the fans, but coaches and players.

“It gives all the local teams an opportunity to get together and showcase what they have for the season as well as allow the other teams to see what they have to get ready for as far as scouting purposes,” he said.

“All the coaches will take advantage of that and it will give them an opportunity to jot some notes down and see what they have to do in preparation for the upcoming games against each other.”

The Storm already got a first-hand look at the Trojans in a 61-53 loss on Thursday. Seniors LaBrice Williams and Logan Stull combined for 36 points in the Webster win. Central’s Chuck Jones paced the Storm with 17 points.

In addition to getting a peek at Central and Webster, four other western Kentucky schools will be present today.

Dawson Springs (1-1) will begin the day’s action at 3 p.m. with a game against Reidland (0-1) and will be followed by a 5 p.m. contest between Webster County (2-0) and Muhlenberg North (1-0). The evening will conclude with host Central (0-1) taking on Greenwood (1-1).

Absent from this year’s line-up is Madisonville-North Hopkins, who opted to play in the Marshall County Hoopfest.

“I think a lot of teams enjoy the one-day shootout, especially fans because they can come and pay five bucks and watch three games,” Central athletic director Nancy Oldham said.

Bell agreed and said such entertainment is hard to beat for its value.

“It’s a pretty good deal and we would like to encourage everybody to come out,” he said. “We think we have three pretty good games on the schedule and it’s just great for local schools who are participating to bring their fans out and show their support, not only for their team, but for all the local teams as well.”

Scheduling opposing teams for the Classic begins soon after the high school season ends each year, but it’s usually not a difficult process.

“Word gets around and sometimes they’ll call and ask if there’s an opening in the event,” Oldham said.

Host schools enjoy benefits beyond exposure for their respective basketball teams though, Oldham said.

“The Messenger has done a good job of financially supporting everything, so it gives us an opportunity to make some money during that day to help not only basketball, but all of our athletics, so we’re real appreciative of that,” she said.

One lucky fan may also have the chance to make some quick capital as well with a drawing to take a half-court shot for $10,000.

Also for this year’s event, during each halftime, The Messenger will honor teams and individuals from the three local participating schools, who have made significant contributions to their respective school’s tradition.

Former Dawson Springs basketball players Jack Audis and Charles Simons will be in attendance to represent the Panthers’ 1946 state runner-up team. Long-time Webster County broadcaster Keith Farrell will be present from the Trojans program.

Lonnie Burgett and Jim Hicks will be on hand to represent the 1967 Earlington state championship team, who will be honored during halftime of Central’s game. All 1967 Earlington team members who have not been contacted are welcomed to attend, as well.

Bell said it’s an occasion to celebrate the tradition of each local school’s basketball program and its most revered individuals.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to recognize our past accomplishments in our area and bring those people back and tell them how much we appreciate what they’ve done for our community in the past and allow them an opportunity to be recognized for their successes over the past years,” he said.

Oldham, a former coach, said the hoops affair has one clear directive for all involved.

“Bringing good basketball to Hopkins County,” she said. “I think anytime your community can host an event where other people are coming into it, it’s good for everybody.”

Despite loss, Jackson enjoyed homecoming

Thursday, December 04, 2008

BOWLING GREEN – Unlike most high school or college football games, University of Georgia basketball player Albert Jackson recently learned homecoming contests don’t always mean smiles and easy victories.

Jackson, who played three years for Hopkins County Central, returned to southwest Kentucky on Tuesday evening to face Western Kentucky University at E.A. Diddle Arena. Hilltopper fans did little more than quell the volume of their boos during his pre-game introduction and once play began, the home team prevented Jackson from establishing his presence inside as Western prevailed 67-63.

Years removed from playing in various all-star games on the Diddle Arena floor, the former Storm standout expressed his feelings about being back in the arena.

“I love playing here,” Jackson said. “It’s a great atmosphere. They have a great crowd. I like the boos, the cheers, all of it.”

More than 7,000 fans jeered and cheered during the game, but Jackson had his own personal section of supporters.

“The whole city of Earlington was here from my mom, my grandma, my sister, my brother, my cousins, friends, everybody,” he said. “It was just great to come back and play. Win or lose, I was still happy to come home and play.”

Georgia led by as many as eight points during the first half, but Jackson struggled to find his rhythm offensively and as the game progressed his teammates labored to find the basket as well.

“Normally we’re good in the post as far as taking shots over people,” Jackson said. “I missed a dunk and two hook shots, (those are) my shots. We just weren’t on tonight.”

Jackson, a 6-11 center, said when he has difficulty creating points he alters his approach to the game.

“I think it makes me play harder personally because I feel like I have to do something to make up,” he said. “They depend on me to score and when I don’t score I have to do something else to help my team out.”

Struggling with his shot, Jackson made his impact under the basket with his size by collecting five rebounds and one block.

Georgia coach Dennis Felton said because of Jackson’s size and determination, he’s integral to the Bulldogs’ success.

“He’s a captain and he’s got a great heart and spirit,” Felton said. “We count on him to be our most reliable interior defender and rebounder. For instance, we played Santa Clara wa couple of games ago. They have a guy that’s 6-11, 280, averaging 20 (points) and 11 (rebounds). Albert was absolute key to us winning that game because he really, really got the job done on that big guy.”

During Tuesday’s contest, Jackson’s playing time was limited to eight minutes because he aggravated an ankle sprain sustained in a preseason exhibition game. Just two minutes into the second half, Albert elevated to block a shot, but committed a foul and landed awkwardly on his foot.

“I came down on it and I just tried to keep going and I hit it again,” he said. “Then, I had to come out and get it taped up again. I just have to work it back to health I guess. I might have to take some games off, I don’t know.”

Felton also said he has a bit of concern regarding Jackson’s ability to contribute consistently with such an injury.

“It’s hard for him to play more than a day or two without tweaking it, without coming down on somebody’s foot and rolling it again,” Felton said. “He’s really important to us and I think that’s kind of worrisome that he has that ankle injury.”

Despite the sore ankle and his team’s loss, Jackson said he takes a little solace being surrounded by familiar faces.

“It felt good just to come back home even though I didn’t come out and play like I would have liked to play back in front of all my friends and family,” he said. “It was great just coming back and being in front of people that grew up with me and saw me play in high school.”

Jackson didn’t leave home with a win, but that doesn’t mean he went empty-handed.

“I think my mom might have brought me some food, a little something to maybe cheer me up after a loss,” he said.

Murray coach recruiting character

Thursday, December 04, 2008

With college basketball season now in full swing, creating baseball buzz can be difficult, but Murray State University coach Rob McDonald tried to do just that by speaking Wednesday afternoon at the Madisonville Lions Club weekly meeting.

McDonald addressed the crowd about the importance of drawing in players with good character and a desire to learn in the classroom as well as on the baseball field. McDonald even mentioned he instructs his players how to stand properly during the national anthem to show respect.

The coach admitted he’s more comfortable conducting clinics rather than standing behind a podium and addressing an audience, but McDonald still had a clear directive for his speech.

“The first thing is just to tell these business leaders a little bit about Murray State and what we try to do, the people that we try to get into the program,” McDonald. “That’s the main thing – to spread the Murray State message a little bit, but then also I will try to mention a few things we do motivationally.”

McDonald will enter the 2009 campaign in his fifth year as the Thoroughbreds head coach. As a former catcher who played for Murray from 1982-84, McDonald said former players of his position understand the game in a unique way and pointed to the success of Major League Baseball managers Joe Girardi (New York

Yankees) and Mike Scioscia (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim).

“I always tell people, the catcher is the only guy that sees everything else,” McDonald said. “You’re facing out and seeing everybody. The catcher has to know pretty much everything, more so than anybody else on the field.”

Just like the majors, McDonald said he has noticed some differences in the way the college game has developed since his time at Murray.

“The biggest changes are the athleticism of the athletes continues to always get better and the bats have changed a lot,” he said. “For a while in the 90s the bats were so loaded that offense was just incredible with all the home runs, but now they’ve brought the bats to a more reasonable standard where they’re not quite so light and explosive.”

For McDonald, the Madisonville area is not unfamiliar territory because the coach recruited former Hopkins County Central player Will Cartwright, who is a sophomore at Murray.

Last season Cartwright redshirted in order to postpone the start to his eligibility.

“It’s fair to say a guy is going to be better in his fifth year than his first, so in some ways you’re trading a season,” McDonald said of the rationale to sitting out.

Cartwright has not seen any live action against opposing teams yet, but he has already made a solid impression on his coach.

“He’s won academic awards and he’s just a real top-notch young man,” McDonald said.

During Murray’s annual Navy-Gold World Series in October, Cartwright also left his mark on the field by blasting a home run off the scoreboard.

“Will swings the bat really well and he’s gotten stronger,” McDonald said. “He got ahold of one and really ripped it. I thought when he hit it – I was over in the dugout – that it was probably gone. It just kept going and going and banged off the scoreboard. I think everybody was glad to see it.”

Joining McDonald at the meeting was Paul Bubb, Murray’s associate athletic director for external affairs. McDonald noted it was Bubb’s second day on the job. Bubb joins the school after serving as athletic director at Idaho State University.

The Thoroughbreds will open up the 2009 season at 2 p.m. on Feb. 20 when Murray plays host to South Dakota State.

Pirates sign first baseman

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

As the snowflakes fall this week on Hopkins County, Tradewater Pirates coach Brandon Kitch awaits the signed contracts of nearly 20 players.

Kitch locked down his first official Pirate in Barton Community College (Okla.) first baseman Austin Messerli on Monday while paperwork for 17 other players has been mailed.

Messerli, a 6-5, 220-pound sophomore, played his first collegiate season at Faulkner University (Ala.), where Kitch currently works as an assistant coach. After one season, Messerli, a native of Norman, Okla. opted to transfer closer to home.

With such a large frame, Kitch expects a lot of production from Messerli.

“I look for him to put up some big offensive numbers,” Kitch said. “He reminds me of Richie Sexson, he’s got that look...He has the potential to play at the next level.”

At Faulkner, Messerli started the season with hits in each of his first two games and finished the season with a .286 average in 21 at-bats. His best game came on March 9 against Auburn University at Montgomery (Ala.) when Messerli recorded his lone multi-hit performance of the season with a two-for-two day.

Although Messerli did not garner much experience on the field, he said he benefited quite a bit from watching starting first baseman Winston Stone, who hit .394 on the year.

“I learned what the mental approach was to an at-bat: what you’re looking for with no strikes, what your approach is when you’re behind in the count, ahead in the count,” Messerli said.

Although he has the stature of a power hitter, Kitch said Messerli has the ability to hit to all fields.

“He can drive the ball in the gaps, He’ll shorten up his swing and put it in play with two strikes. I look for him to drive in some runs for us and hit four, five, six hole this summer.

While Kitch likened Messerli to Sexson, the future Pirate described his hitting ability to that of third baseman Troy Glaus.

“I don’t play third, but we both stand up, our bodies are more upward when we’re hitting,” Messerli said. “We don’t bend our knees a whole lot and we have power to all fields.”

The plan to sign Messerli was one that was set in motion even before Kitch signed to coach Tradewater because of the duo’s long-standing friendship, which dates back to Kitch’s coaching days at Oklahoma City University.

“One of the big things I look for in a coach is trust and I’ve known him six, eight years and we’ve built a pretty good relationship,” Messerli said. “I trust him in what he knows and what he teaches.”

Once Kitch interviewed for the Pirates job, he alerted Messerli of his potential need for a first baseman.

“‘If I get the job, you’re the first one I’m going to go to,’” Messerli recounted Kitch’s words. “He called me and said he got the job, so we’re here now where we are.”

Before Kitch began at Faulkner, he coached at Vernon College (Texas) and recruited Messerli, but the pair’s relationship began when as a young boy, Messerli attended winter hitting camps run by the OCU staff, which included Kitch.

“I’m excited for Austin, I’ve known him since he was 12 years old,” Kitch said. “He’s matured into a very physical baseball player as far as looking the part and playing the part.”

When Messerli is not playing first base, Kitch said he plans to use him in the outfield or at designated hitter.

Messerli may also find a pair of former Faulkner teammates on the Tradewater squad. Kitch said he is looking to add one or two other Eagle players.

In addition to his Faulkner connection, Kitch said he is expecting the signed contract of Oral Roberts University (Okla.) shortstop Colby Price.

Price a junior shortstop earned a perfect fielding percentage in 40 games during the 2008 season.

“He’s supposed to be a defensive specialist and has a real good glove,” Kitch said. “I think that we’re going to hit enough that pitching and defense is going to be the difference, but I’m really excited about this kid.”

While the contracts await each respective signature, Kitch said the Tradewater organization has plenty to look forward to in Messerli.

“I think the fans are going to look at him and just go ‘Wow,’ he said. “You can sit here and talk him up, but he’s going to have to go out and prove it. I don’t want to put a lot of pressure on the kid, but if he goes out there and proves it, he’s going to be fun to watch.”

Little Storm packs big punch

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Entering the 2008-09 swim season, the Hopkins County Central boys swim team, with just seven members, faced the difficult task of keeping pace with the stronger and deeper girls squad, but on Monday evening the Storm swimmers rose to the occasion.

In just the third meet of the year, the boys finished in second place, as did the girls, in a quad meet against Calloway County, Christian Fellowship and Marshall County at Hopkins County Family YMCA.

“We don’t have very many boys at all, but they pack a big punch so we’re really pleased with them,” head coach Cheryl Vaughn said. “It looked like most of the athletes are still dropping times, which is extremely important right now, especially coming off Thanksgiving.”

Senior Wesley Ipock paced the boys squad with a first-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle (:27.76) and second place in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:17.38).

Ipock also competed on Central’s second-place 200-yard medley relay (2:23.21) and 200-yard freestyle relay (2:10.25) teams with Kain Bean, Chase Durrance and Cody Patterson.

Durrance cut an astonishing 19 seconds from his previous time in the 100-yard backstroke to claim third place.

“It’s the first time other than time practice that I’ve actually swam it,” he said afterward.

Durrance, a junior who also plays tennis, said this winter marks his first with the Storm swimmers, but he can see a bit of correlation between the two sports.

“They’re both all about sprinting as hard as you can,” he said. “It’s short and quick exercise and for me it’s all about pushing yourself.”

Patterson’s best races came during second-place finishes in the 200-yard individual medley (3:00.32) and 500-yard freestyle (7:25.37).

Despite his high placement in the 200 IM, Patterson said it will be an area he needs to improve upon during practice.

“I didn’t do that good, I’ll be honest,” he said. “I’m really going to be pushing that.”

Patterson said he was pleased though with how the small group of boys competed overall.

“I know we don’t have that many guys, but getting second place, that feels pretty good.”

On the girls side, junior Ellen French also expressed some unhappiness with her individual times despite a pair of first-place finishes in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:23.57) and 100-yard butterfly (1:09.54).

“Personally, I wasn’t too proud of my races,” she said. “I didn’t get my best times...I won both my races, but personally I didn’t knock off times, so I wasn’t happy.”

Vaughn said she has noticed French’s determination to excel.

“She steps out of the water after getting first place and she said, ‘I know I won, but I don’t feel good about it, I’m going to do better,’” Vaughn said. “You can’t ask for anything more from a captain. It’s just great leadership.”

Right behind French in the 100-yard fly was teammate Ellen Cox. During the 100-yard backstroke, Cox also took second place, finishing just .34 seconds behind Marshall County’s Sarah Telle.

“I think a lot depends on turns,” Cox said of the close time differential. “I don’t know if I reached back far enough. Her arms might be longer than mine, so I guess I sort of lost it.”

Although she narrowly missed taking top honors in the event, Cox shaved four seconds from her previous time and said assistant coach Sophie French thinks it’s her best opportunity to compete at regionals.

As for relays, the Central girls team of Cox, French, Rebecca Spraggs and Lindsey Hooper combined to win the 400-yard freestyle relay (4:38.29). The foursome finished in second place during the 200-yard medley relay as well.

Individually, Hooper ended in third place for the 200-yard freestyle (2:43.57) and Spraggs took second in the 200-yard IM. Spraggs and Hooper finished two-three in the 500-yard freestyle as well with Spraggs coming out ahead.

Despite the season, players on courses

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Just because there’s a nip in the air, does not mean local golfers have gone into hibernation for the winter.

Lakeshore Country Club and Madisonville Golf and Country Club keep their doors open throughout the year and when the sun shines its brightest during the colder months players make their way to the respective courses to take full advantage of the unusual warmth.

Scotty Frederick runs Scotty’s Pro Shop at Lakeshore and has noticed a magic number that determines how busy his day will be.

“If the weather is in the 50s, we have players,” he said. “If it’s below 50, we don’t.”

For other golfers, the threshold for withstanding cold is higher.

“We had a guy from Wisconsin the other day, it was windy and cold,” Madisonville G&CC owner Jeff Howerton said. “He probably thought it was real nice out. It was about 47 degrees. He’s probably used to worse weather, so he took advantage of it.”

Approximately 50 golfers made use of the Lakeshore grounds on Sunday thanks to pleasant weather.

Both courses operate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but between the hours 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. are the busiest because it is the typical warmest part of the day. During a heavy frost, the course may not be playable until 10 a.m., Howerton said.

At Madisonville, Howerton said a lot of members try to play a leisurely nine holes in the afternoon, but Frederick noticed at Lakeshore a lot of golfers still try to get a full round of 18 holes.

The temperatures are not the sole factor keeping folks away from the game though.

“The main thing in the winter time is people have other plans,” Howerton said. “If they have kids, they’re probably playing ABA or soccer indoor, so most of the time, even though it does get nice, they have other plans. They’re not really planning on playing golf.”

Golfers who have not visited Lakeshore since the summer will also notice a difference in the characteristics of the course’s grass.

“The Bermuda has already gone dormant and the greens are actually better now than they were in the summer,” Frederick said.

Conditions may not be ideal, but there’s a chance that keeping sharp while others stash their clubs in the garage could pay off once the cold lifts.

“It keeps the club feeling good in your hands over the winter, playing a lot,” Howerton said. “So when the spring time comes, it doesn’t feel like such a foreign object in your hands.”

With fewer individuals on the course individual play can be faster and both clubs offer reduced rates as well during the winter to encourage patrons to break out the sticks.

Maintenance crews also use the slower season to make improvements. Howerton said his workers will be trimming trees, working on irrigation and installing new drainage in the bunkers.

In Scotty’s Pro Shop, Frederick said this time is one that individuals use to visit and buy Christmas gifts.

“Golf bags are always a good item for Christmas and of course clubs are a big item too,” he said.

Although football season is ending and basketball beginning, the most avid of local golfers always have the game on their minds no matter the time of year.