Lady Maroons win 3rd straight district crown

y Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com

Published: Friday, February 27, 2009 12:24 AM CST

PRINCETON -- John Paul Cummings and the Madisonville-North Hopkins girls basketball team broke out the scissors for the third consecutive year to cut down the nets on Thursday night at Caldwell County.

The Lady Maroons (15-8) defeated Caldwell County (18-8) 57-46 behind a powerful fourth-quarter run, which proved to be the knockout blow in the 7th District Championship.

The trio of KeKe Drake, Tayla Foster and Lyndi Tedder combined to outscore the Lady Tigers with 47 points.

"I thought Keke and Tayla taking it to them was important and then of course Lyndi, I thought played her smartest game of the year," Cummings said. "Those girls work their butts off in practice and I pushed them so hard. It was good to some reward out there and see them earn it."

The three girls certainly put their squad in position to win entering the final quarter, but it was their teammate DeDe McReynolds who throttled the team to victory in the final eight minutes.

McReynolds scored all eight of her points during a five-minute stretch in the fourth quarter.

"I was just getting rebounds and getting open so someone could pass me the ball," McReynolds said of her offensive outburst.

Her most important bucket came with 2:57 remaining in the game. Tedder sent a pass inside to Foster, who missed a layup, but McReynolds hauled in the rebound on the other side of the glass and went strong for the hoop and harm. McReynolds missed the free throw, but the score put North ahead 49-45.

"DeDe is one of those that can hang around the basket and with Keke and Tayla she's hard to guard because there's a mismatch somewhere," Cummings said. "I thought when Lyndi went in and made that nice pass, Tayla missed it and DeDe got the rebound, I thought we were pretty good."

Later, with 1:23 to go, McReynolds sank her final shot to put the Lady Maroons ahead by eight. Tedder made 4-of-5 free throws in the final 64 seconds to ice the game as North ended on a 12-2 run.

The Lady Maroons netted 23 points in the fourth quarter, but both teams struggled offensively before halftime. North made just 10-of-30 shots in the first half.

"I think we were just a little bit too excited and rushing our shots in the first half, but then in the second half we came down and made our shots, Lyndi hit some threes and we made our free throws and won," Drake said of the turn around.

Caldwell led by as many as six in the second quarter, but North ended the half on a 6-0 run to tie it at 21 all heading into the break.

The Lady Tigers led the entire third quarter and appeared ready to break away as the quarter winded down.

With 1:15 left in the third, Lady Tiger guard Jayme Jackson backed into the lane, drew contact and hoisted up a shot as she fell away from the basket. The ball glanced high off the glass and dropped through the rim. Jackson sank the ensuing free threw to go ahead 34-28.

North found its offense at the most crucial time though when the Lady Maroons made each of their first five shot attempts in the fourth quarter.

Tedder's three-pointer just inside the quarter put her team up 35-34. Tedder commanded the offense for the majority of the second half after Heidi Clayton left with foul trouble.

"My main focus was whoever was scoring to get them the ball and if I had an opening, take it," Tedder said. "I just wanted to score and maybe their defense would come onto me. KeKe and Tayla and DeDe, all them stepped up and were hitting their layups and that was the key to the game."

The Lady Maroons won the rebound battle 36-16 and Cummings said it was definitely an area of emphasis.

"That was our No. 1 thing to focus on, to dominate the glass and execute," he said. "I thought we did both those things. I thought it was our best team win of the year."

Foster nabbed a team-high 16 rebounds and Drake grabbed 11.

Cummings said he thought Clayton and Brittany Elliott's defense in the first half was also pivotal to the win.

With a third consecutive district championship in hand, North has its sights set even higher after falling in back-to-back years in the 2nd Region semi-final.

"Now our focus is region championship," Tedder said. "We're going to state."

The Lady Maroons will host the 2nd Region Tournament next week and await Saturday's drawing to determine their opponent.

CCHS (18-8) 8 13 13 12 - 46

MNHHS (15-8) 8 13 9 23 - 57

CCHS: Jayme Jackson 18, Emily Meeks 13, Savannah Pepper 7, Casey Stone 6, Jaquelyn Sindelar 2

MNHHS: Lyndi Tedder 20, KeKe Drake 17, Tayla Foster 10, DeDe McReynolds 8, Mikuel Harris 2

Group of Maroons sign letters of intent

By Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com

Published: Thursday, February 26, 2009 12:24 AM CST

Friends, coaches, players and administrators gathered on Wednesday afternoon at the Madisonville-North Hopkins High School library to watch as six Maroon football players dotted the lines of their respective national letters of intent.

The seniors committed to four different schools with half of the players staying in state and the others playing in Arkansas and California.

Head football coach Will Weaver conducted the ceremonies and said many fine things of the players that will continue their careers.

"They've led and done everything we've asked them to do," he said. "One of the things we've preached to our guys is if you'll do everything we ask you to do and keep your grades up, keep your attitude right, then we'll do everything we can to find a place for you after high school."

Originally slated to attend Georgetown College, Iven Jessup and Ryan Robinson have chosen to pursue football at Murray State University.

Weaver said the decision to switch schools came a week and a half ago when he took the pair to visit Murray and Austin Peay State University (Tenn.).

The duo felt they fit with the Racers' program and it was more affordable than Georgetown, a private school, Weaver said.

Robinson, at 5-10, 180 pounds, manufactured 645 yards and seven scores in his senior year. In addition to his running abilities, Robinson led the team in receiving with 44 catches for 555 yards.

Jessup claimed the top-tackling honor in 2008 with 165 takedowns. The 5-11, 165-pound senior also collected three interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Jessup will play safety at the collegiate level.

Defensive lineman T.J. Gibbons will also be staying in state and will play at the University of the Cumberlands. Like Jessup and Robinson, Gibbons' initial arrangements have also changed recently. Gibbons intended to walk on at the school, but now has been offered a scholarship package.

Gibbons finished the 2008 season with more than 30 tackles, six hurries and two sacks.

Maroon quarterback Matt Levin signed papers announcing his desire to play at Henderson State University (Ark.).

Levin passed for 2,078 yards in 2008. Levin, 5-11, 165 pounds, led the offense by completing 63 percent of his passes and throwing for 11 touchdowns. In an injury-shortened junior campaign, Levin completed 64-of-92 passes for nine scores in six games.

Weaver said Levin saw the field well and acted as another coach by recognizing defenses and checking down accordingly.

The two Maroons making the furthest trek to move on will be Jesse Donahue and Jaquez Samuel, two of North's top defenders the past two seasons.

Donahue and Samuel plan to attend Antelope Valley College (Calif.), a junior college.

Samuel, a 5-11, 185 pound defender, had 161 tackles and posted a team-high 89 solo tackles and also had three interceptions.

Weaver said Samuel "has his best football ahead of him."

Donahue, a free safety at 6-1, 175 pounds, broke the century mark with 111 tackles and recorded a team-high six picks.

During Donahue's introduction, Weaver said Antelope's last free safety just signed with Iowa State University and the school's head coach believes Donahue has potential to be even better.

It's crucial to have a high school teammate when moving onto college ball, Weaver said.

"That's critical," he said. "They have more of a chance to have someone there that will push them and some familiar faces around always helps, especially going out to California."

Antelope also sent running back Chris Scisney an offer, but he has declined. North's L.J. Gregory has also turned down offers to play collegially. Lineman Nick Hanvy narrowed his prospective list from four colleges to Centre College and Kentucky Wesleyan.

Each player thanked God, their parents, coaches and teammates as they signed their letters of intent.

Levin made sure to thank his "big guys" up front for protecting him as well.

Jessup had a few words of wisdom for the younger players in the crowd.

"I want to stress to my teammates to work hard and put your heart into everything," he said.

Donahue thanked Jessup and Samuel for helping him work hard in the offseason and making the defense one of the top 10 in the state.

Despite the loss of talent from this year's graduating class, Weaver said he's confident North will be just as competitive if not more in the upcoming season thanks to the 2009 senior class.

"They just had a vision and this is a senior group that actually helped us turn the corner," Weaver said. "There's no reason you can't have a winner here every year.

"It reminds me of what we did at Ft. Campbell. It took them five years down there to build a state championship and we're definitely heading in that direction."

Storm, Maroons to battle for district title

By Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com

Published: Thursday, February 26, 2009 12:24 AM CST

For the second time in as many seasons, Hopkins County Central and Madisonville-North Hopkins will enter the 7th District Boys' Basketball Tournament Championship with county pride and regional impact on the line.

The Storm (21-8) will take on the Maroons (11-11) at 7:45 p.m. today at Caldwell County High School. The schools split two regular season contests.

Central won the first game 66-62 at Maroon Gym on Jan. 20 and North claimed the rematch 79-78 in double overtime on the road on Feb. 14.

Both teams enter the district championship after large victories in the first round.

On Monday, the Storm defeated Dawson Springs 84-59 behind the solid performances of its two big men, Dan Croft and Chuck Jones. Croft, a 6-9 junior, recorded 17 points and 11 rebounds while Jones, a 6-9 senior, tallied a team-high 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Central coach Matt Bell said the duo's success allows their teammates to feed from the energy.

"I think it's always good because not only do you feel good about yourself, you feel good about your teammates," he said. "That helps you play a lot better."

The Maroons do not have quite the same size as Central, but the team does have a handful of players who will be called upon to minimize Croft and Jones' impact.

"We have to do the things that are fundamentally sound," Cline said. "We have to defend with intensity and block out with physicality. Those guys are going to run the floor hard, they're going to post hard and they're going to go to the glass hard. Those are things that we obviously have to do to combat that as far as size goes."

Bell and the Central staff were on hand during North's first-round matchup with host Caldwell County on Tuesday evening. The Tigers trailed just six points at the end of the first quarter, but the Maroons then opened up the game and eventually won 98-47.

"We were just looking for some player tendencies," Bell said of his observations of the game. "We know what they do and they know what we do, it's just going to be a matter of who's going to execute and takes care of business."

Bell said North did a good job of taking away the ball on defense and minimizing easy buckets as the game advanced, allowing for the Maroons to build a large lead.

Like Bell experienced on Monday, North's sizable advantage provided Cline with a perfect opportunity to give his reserves some quality minutes on the floor.

"It gives them tremendous confidence to get that district tournament experience," Cline said of the bench. "I think coach Bell would say the same thing. He had an opportunity to get his bench some time and get experience, take the pressure of them."

In fact, bench play could prove to be the difference maker between the two teams on Thursday.

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"They're deeper than us on the bench, but it's going to be a matter of whose bench actually comes in and gets better minutes," Bell said.

Central's bench experienced a blow last week when sharpshooter Josh Riley broke his arm at home.

Even without Riley, Cline said if his team can stop first options Croft or Jones, the Storm have other offensive weapons.

"If they were a one or two-person team, we probably wouldn't be having this discussion," he said. "They're a good team and they play well together and that's what makes them so good. They share the basketball. We can't just focus on trying to take one thing away. We have to play team defense and team rebound."

Neither coach felt comfortable predicting the outcome of Thursday's contest, but like the fans, they certainly felt the excitement and buzz that is building.

"I know there's an anxiety to get out there and play your best and to leave it all out there on the floor and the chips will fall where they may as long as you leave your best effort out there," Cline said. "Everybody is a little bit anxious to get to that point and that's a good feeling."

Tigers can't stand up to Maroons

By Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com

Published: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 12:26 AM CST

PRINCETON -- Many Hopkins County high school basketball fans got just what they wanted with the Madisonville-North Hopkins' 98-47 drubbing of Caldwell County on Tuesday night in first round of the 7th District Tournament.

With the win, the Maroons will face Hopkins County Central for the third time this season in a much-awaited rematch of the 2008 7th District Championship.

North (11-11) enters the game as reigning district champs, but the teams have split two contests this season and the Maroons should also bring great confidence after a well-balanced effort against Caldwell (2-17).

The Maroons held just a six-point lead after eight minutes of play, but blew the game open in the second quarter and never bothered to look back.

That allowed North's bench to register many quality minutes early in the game. By halftime, nine Maroons made the scorebook with points scored. Fifteen recorded at least two points by game's end.

Caldwell played strong in the first quarter though and held a 10-7 advantage just six minutes into the game. North converted on three consecutive turnovers though to give the Maroons the lead, one they never surrendered the rest of the way. In the second quarter, North officially put the game away on a 20-4 run and led 45-22 at halftime.

A tenacious effort on defense keyed North's breakaway as the team created steals into offense. Strong effort from the bench also fueled the Maroons' big win.

North's bench tried to quell rumors that Jon Hood is the team's only reliable scoring threat. Hood did post a game-high 15 points, but recorded nine points on just two made field goals in the first half.

Carl and Robert Hatchett also reached double digits in points scored with 14 and 11 respectively, but the balanced scoring throughout the rest of the roster allowed North coach Marty Cline to continually send new players onto the floor without fear of an offensive drop off.

Orlando Green's layup with four minutes left in the game put the Maroons up 84-42. The basket helped North eclipse its previous highest offensive output when the Maroons defeated Dawson Springs 83-57 on Dec. 12, 2008. By game's end, the 98-47 win marked North's largest margin of victory since its win against Dawson.

The entire Maroons lineup also did its job defensively by limiting the Tigers top scorer Tron Gray to 13 points. Gray did not record a single point in the second half. Marcus Wimbleduff reached double figures with 12, but no other Caldwell posted more than five points.

North returns to the hardwood at 7:45 p.m. on Thursday night at Caldwell County for a chance to earn back-to-back district crowns against Central.

CCHS (2-17) 13 9 15 10 - 47

MNHHS (11-11) 19 26 29 24 - 98

CCHS: Tron Gray 13, Marcus Wimbleduff 12, Sam Grace 5, Joseph Bubba Stone 5, Brad Dixon 3, Cody Hooks 2, Josh Morris 2, Seth Phelps 2, Brandon Sigler 2, Aaron Smiley 1

MNHHS: Jon Hood 15, Carl Hatchett 14, Robert Hatchett 11, Isiah White 9, Dylan Basham 6, Tray Carr 6, L.J. Gregory 6, Darin Tomblingson 6, Ryan Robinson 5, Logan Waide 5, Denzel Johnson 4, J.C. Wade 4, Andy Christian 3, Jalyn Combs 2, Joe Kington 2

Caldwell County eliminates Lady Panthers

By Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com

Published: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 11:15 AM CST

PRINCETON -- Facing a win or go home situation, the Dawson Springs girls basketball team played to the gravity of the situation during the first half of action against Caldwell County in the 7th District Tournament.

The Lady Panthers (1-19) trailed by just two points midway through the second quarter against the district's top squad, but Dawson's upset bid continued to fade from that point as Caldwell (18-7) turned up the intensity to win 73-46.

"We played pretty much about the best offensively that we could have played in the first half," coach Jeff Miller said. "The second half, our inexperience showed up."

Dawson, which does not boast a single senior, overcame the first-half jitters of a postseason contest with a solid team effort, but that same success did not translate after the break.

Caldwell led the Lady Panthers by nine at halftime. After Dawson's Shelby Merrell made the first bucket of the third quarter, the Lady Tigers opened things up with a 6-0 run to go ahead 42-29.

Dawson forward Brooke Randolph sank an open three-point shot to end the run with 5:34 left in the third, but the visiting team made just one more basket the rest of the quarter.

Miller said Caldwell forced Dawson's hand to move away from the original game plan.

"They're a solid team," Miller said of Caldwell's talent. "They put some pressure on our young ones and we kind of got away from what we were running."

By the end of three quarters of play, the Lady Tigers held a 54-34 advantage. Emilee Workman did her best to rally her squad back into the game by scoring eight of her total 10 points in the final quarter, but the rest of her team added just four in the final eight minutes.

In the first half, Caldwell seemed to be surprised by underdog Dawson's effort, as Randolph paced the effort offensively by scoring 11 points.

Miller said he was also pleased with the way Workman handled the point early on.

The Lady Panthers fell behind 21-13 early in the second quarter, but manufactured a 6-0 run in 44 seconds to make it a 21-19 ballgame. Dawson forced a stop on defense and held possession for a chance to tie or take the lead, but could not convert on the opportunity. Caldwell did not let Dawson come any closer the rest of the game.

Lady Tiger point guard Jayme Jackson led the Caldwell offense with 29 points. Three other Lady Tigers reached double digits, including Emily Meeks with 15.

Jackson created offensive damage by using her quickness to drive the lane as well as stroke the nylon from beyond the three-point arc.

"(Jackson) was just faster," Miller said. "They had more scoring weapons than we did. The Meeks girl, she did a good job driving the basket."

In the end though, Miller, a first-year coach, said he was pleased with his team's effort to hang with one of the 2nd Region's top squads.

"I'm just really proud of my girls," he said. "They played as hard as they could."

DSHS (1-19) 11 16 7 12 - 46

CCHS (18-7) 15 21 18 19 - 73

DSHS: Brooke Randolph 14, Emilee Workman 10, Shelby Merrell 8, Sarah Bassett 4, Laura Hatton 4, Amber Genseal 2, Rihana McKnight 2, Jalyn Walls 2

CCHS: Jayme Jackson 29, Emily Meeks 15, Casey Stone 11, Savannah Pepper 10, Jaquelyn Sindelar 4, McKenzie Ames 2, Laykin Peek 2

Postseason action kicks off Monday night

By Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com

Published: Sunday, February 22, 2009 12:26 AM CST

Hopes, dreams, seasons and for some high-school basketball careers will all be on the line during this week's 7th District Tournament at Caldwell County.

Boys and girls teams from Dawson Springs, Hopkins County Central and Madisonville-North Hopkins enter the postseason with the same goal: advance.

Storm coach Matt Bell said his team has already discussed the magnitude of a one-loss-and-out scenario.

"The one thing we talked about (Friday night) after our win at Apollo was that it's a new season and everybody has a record of 0-0, so you have to play one game at a time and you have to make sure you take care of business if you want to play another one," he said.

Central (20-8) will face Dawson (6-17) at 7:45 p.m. Monday for the second time in 10 days. On Feb. 13, the Panthers lost 87-42, but did so without senior Ethan Scott, who missed the game with a leg injury.

Scott scored a team-high 20 points in Dawson's 89-60 loss to Murray on Thursday and Bell said he understands the Panther forward has potential to have a similar impact during Monday's meeting.

"Scott brings them a little more ball handling with his size and passing ability, so he's able to see the floor and make plays," he said.

The Lady Panthers (1-18) will kickoff Monday's action at 6 p.m. against host Caldwell (17-7). Dawson's girls lost 66-33 in the pair's previous contest on Jan. 8.

The winner of that game will face the victor of Tuesday's 6 p.m. contest between Central (4-23) and North (13-8). The Lady Maroons defeated the Lady Storm twice in the regular season, but Central has shown great signs of improvement with two wins and two losses by five or less since hitting the floor after the ice storm.

Central lost 72-23 in the team's first matchup, but led as late as midway through the third quarter during the rematch on Feb. 14, before losing 63-39.

"They got off to a good start and from there on it was a dog fight," Lady Maroons coach John Paul Cummings said. "It was a little hostile and it was good for us. It was a great tournament atmosphere. You just have to learn to relax and stick to your game plan and execute. It took us a long time to do that in that game."

Lady Storm coach Jennifer Flener said her girls know who to key on for their best bet at victory.

"One thing we know that we have to do on Tuesday is our defense has got to be good, especially we have to stop their post play in Tayla Foster and KeKe Drake, DeDe McReynolds," Flener said on Saturday. "What we're focusing on in our next three days of practice is post defense, just trying to make sure we stop their play on offense in the post and make sure when a shot goes up, we box out and we don't give them second and third opportunities." North's boys (10-11) will complete first-round action when the Maroons take on Caldwell (2-16) at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday. North sports seven seniors on its roster, more than any other Hopkins County team, and each game could be their last.

Jon Hood, North's leading scorer with 29.4 points per game, will lead the Maroons into battle, but complementary production from fellow seniors Robert Hatchett and Ryan Robinson will be key in the team's chances of advancing and repeating as 7th District champs.

The championship games will be held on Thursday with the girls contest to be held first at 6 p.m.

For teams that win on Tuesday, the turn around will be just two days, but Cummings said that's not a concern.

"For whoever advances, it's not going to be tough because these kids are used to playing," he said. "When we play these Christmas tournaments, we play four games in four days. These kids are pretty resilient and they're used to playing good competition night in and night out."

Cummings said he's not going to make the mistake of thinking about the championship game just yet though.

"I've been watching as many teams as possible in the region, but the only game that matters is that first game," he said. "I'm not real worried about Caldwell at this point until we can get through the first game with Central. Any time two rival teams play, you can throw the records out the door."

Central's Bell said he does not fear his players looking forward to a possible title game with North.

"All of our focus is on Dawson Springs and if we're fortunate enough to advance, then we'll have plenty of time to prepare for the next game," he said.

Meanwhile, Flener has been using the one-and-out tournament set-up to inspire her three seniors - Amber Coakley, Whitney Orange and Brittney Orten.

"I've been telling them for the past week, you've got a couple regular season games left to play, but once Tuesday comes around it's live or die," Flener said. "You either win or you're done."

Dawson Springs falls to McLean

By Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com

Published: Saturday, February 21, 2009 12:21 AM CST

NORTONVILLE -- The Dawson Springs girls basketball team ended its regular season with a 48-33 loss to McLean County during Friday night's Homecoming game at South Hopkins Middle School.

Although the Lady Cougars (8-17) never took complete advantage of the miscues, turnovers proved costly enough for the Lady Panthers (1-18) as Dawson turned the ball over at least six times in each quarter.

Despite the ill-advised passes, the Lady Panthers found themselves in a ballgame in the second-half.

McLean led by 13 on two separate occasions in the third quarter, until a three-point play by Dawson's Emilee Workman. Shelby Merrell began the opportunity when she missed the front end of a one-and-one. The ball deflected to Brooke Randolph in the corner, who tossed the ball to Workman for the hoop and harm. The three-point play cut the deficit to 30-20.

Dawson manufactured its highest offensive output of the game in the final quarter, but still could not outscore the visiting Lady Cougars.

Rihana McKnight began the fourth on a three-point shot from the wing to make it a 34-23 contest.

The Lady Panthers played back into the game with their offense, but missed opportunities prevented the squad from completing a full comeback.

Twice in one minute midway through the fourth, Workman secured back-to-back steals, but her teammates could not convert the turnovers into points.

Later, Workman corralled a rebound, dribbled the length of the court and hit a jumper to make it a 37-27 game. Dawson did not come any closer though as McLean held its ground for the victory.

Play in the first quarter mirrored the rest of the game as the Lady Panthers struggled to bring the ball up the floor to establish their offensive sets.

During a 36-second stretch, McLean forced three consecutive turnovers and scored on each to take a 10-point lead.

In the second quarter, Dawson successfully beat the press and got the ball to Laura Hatton, who made the open two-point shot. On the team's next possession, Randolph knocked down a jumper from the top of the key and the Lady Panthers trailed just 20-13.

The Lady Cougars pushed the lead to 11 at halftime, however.

By contest's end, Workman finished with a game-high 12 points.

Now, Dawson will look to play the role of spoiler when the Lady Panthers play at 6 p.m. on Monday against Caldwell County (16-7) in the first round of the 7th District Tournament at Caldwell.

MCHS (8-17) 16 10 8 14 -- 48

DSHS (1-18) 9 6 5 13 -- 33

MCHS: Kimbra Payne 10, Hannah Jones 9, Kelsey Carter 8, Madison Peercy 5, Heather Floyd 4, Brooke Little 4, Emma Hinton 3, Jordan Crabtree 2, Kate Slinker 2, Sarah Hazelip 1

DSHS: Emilee Workman 12, Rihana McKnight 7, Shelby Merrell 6, Brooke Randolph 4, Amber Genseal 2, Laura Hatton 2

Storm get hard-fought 52-50 win

By Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com

Published: Friday, February 20, 2009 12:54 AM CST

MORTONS GAP -- Yogi Berra didn't play basketball, but he did warn it's not over until it's over and that wisdom definitely held true to the Hopkins County Central boys' basketball contest with Crittenden County on Thursday night.

Ahead just one point entering the game's final minute, each team benefited from multiple opportunities to seal the victory, but ultimately it was the Storm (19-8) who scratched out a 52-50 win against the Rockets (7-11) on Senior Night.

Central junior Cameron Tabor toed the line with 17.4 seconds remaining in the game and swished back-to-back free throws to put his team up four points and the game looked nearly comfortable for the home squad.

That's until Rocket guard Cody Holzer drained a three-point shot with a hand in his face on the right wing to cut the lead to one.

With 2.4 seconds left, senior Corey Coble made 1-of-2 free throws. Then, Crittenden's Courtney Gaige attempted a long pass to one of his teammates at midcourt. Coble deflected the intended toss and teammate Dan Croft collected the ball as time ran off the clock, securing a 52-50 Storm win.

The game's final minutes provided even more dramatics though before the last couple game-deciding plays.

Both Je'Vonte Hughes and Nikee Caldwell stepped to the free-throw line for a chance to knock down a pair of free-throws in the final 1:33. Each player missed the first in a bonus situation.

In between the players' misses, Courtney hit a jumper to make the game 47-46 in Central's favor.

On Crittenden's ensuing possession, Hughes made up for the miss by intercepting a Rocket pass. Hughes jumped in front of the pass near Crittenden's three-point line and slid all the way to Central's bench with the ball before coach Matt Bell called for a timeout.

It took Central two chances to get the following in-bounds pass into play. Crittenden fouled Tabor with 42 seconds to go and he made 1-of-2.

The Rockets could have held for a possible game-tying shot, but Courtney turned the ball over on a double-dribble with :32.3 left.

Chuck Jones also made 1-of-2, and down three Crittenden had another shot to tie the game.

With :19.5 remaining, Cody Dunham shot two free throws. Dunham made the first and the missed second shot, which fell to Tabor, who was fouled and made the ensuing free throws.

Jones ended the game as Central's leading scorer with 14 points, but the Storm played much of the game without the senior's presence due to foul trouble.

During his absence, Crittenden took advantage by mounting runs to stay in the game.

The Storm led until Jones left with his second foul with 4:42 before halftime. Central did not get the lead back until Jones re-entered in the third quarter.

Central's two seniors, Coble and Jones, combined to give their team the lead back and create a milestone for the former.

Thirty six seconds into the second half, Coble drove to the basket and then kicked out for Jones, who hit nothing, but net on his three-point shot. The bucket gave the Storm a 28-27 advantage and provided Coble with the all-time single-season assist record with 179.

Central held the lead nearly the rest of the contest, but never pushed it beyond six points.

Jones nearly reached a personal milestone of his own. The 6-9 post player finished just one point short of 500 for the season and nine short of 1,500 for his career.

The Storm will finish the regular season at 7:30 p.m. today at Apollo.

CCHS (7-11) 14 13 7 16 - 50

HCCHS (19-8) 17 6 16 13 - 52

CCHS: Cody Holzer 21, Brandon Deboe 9, Gaige Courtney 8, Cody Dunham 5, Casey Oliver 4, Dylan Clark 2, Alex Porter 1

HCCHS: Chuck Jones 14, Nikee Caldwell 13, Corey Coble 9, Cameron Tabor 7, Josh Riley 4, Jake Hopper 3, Je'Vonte Hughes 2

Second-half run dooms Lady Storm

By Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com

Published: Friday, February 20, 2009 2:53 PM CST

MORTONS GAP -- For three quarters on Thursday night, three seniors from the Hopkins County Central girls basketball team appeared poised to leave Storm Gym for the last time with a win, but Muhlenberg North ruined those plans in the fourth quarter.

Down four points at half, seniors Amber Coakley, Whitney Orange and Brittney Orten and the rest of the Lady Storm (4-23) fell victim to a spectacular 25-7 second-half run by the Lady Stars (9-18) and eventually lost 71-51.

Central entered the final quarter down 48-42, but the Lady Storm lost its scoring touch in the last eight minutes of the game as Muhlenberg North pulled away.

"Their shots were falling, ours weren't," coach Jennifer Flener said. "We weren't playing defense as well as I know we that we could and our poor decisions once again trickled into them scoring buckets on the other end."

The Lady Stars opened the fourth quarter on a 10-0 run and the Lady Storm unfortunately could not recover.

After throwing her teammates on her back in the first half, Coakley, who scored 17 of her game-high 23 points in the first 16 minutes, did not have her same effectiveness late in the game.

"In the second half, (Coakley) didn't look to score as much," Flener said. "I think she was trying to do too much, trying to dribble up the floor, trying to create things that weren't open, and we went away from just running an offense and once again we turned the ball over."

Coakley ended the Muhlenberg North scoring streak with 6:09 left in the game, but the damage had been done. The Lady Stars continued to knock down shots and finished off the Lady Storm.

Although Central's seniors could not end their regular season with a victory, Flener said they still have an opportunity with next week's district tournament to leave a lasting mark.

"I'm proud of our three seniors and this is our Senior Night, our last game of our regular season and now we just have to put this game behind us and look to Madisonville-North Hopkins on Tuesday," she said.

"These are three of the best kids that I've ever coached and they will always be remembered here at Central...I'm just honored to have been their coach for all five years."

In the first quarter, Central fell behind early 8-0 and did not score until Coakley drove the length of the floor after snagging a rebound with 4:40 left in the first.

That bucket proved to be the first of many for Coakley as she dominated the first-half offense for the Lady Storm.

As the first quarter winded down, Orten created a steal and found Coakley on the offensive end for a backdoor cut and two easy points. The basket cut Muhlenberg North's lead to 13-9.

Coakley continued her scoring prowess in the next quarter with nine more points to give her 17 heading into halftime. The 5-9 Coakley scored 17 of her team's first 18 points.

Midway through the second quarter, Central forced another turnover, which allowed the Lady Storm to tie game at 18 all. Coakley collected the loose ball and raced down the floor to beat two Lady Stars defenders and draw contact for a three-point play opportunity.

Muhlenberg North again pushed ahead briefly before Orten tied the game at 22-22 when she drove the baseline for two, but the Lady Stars held a 29-25 advantage at the break.

MNHS (9-18) 13 16 19 23

HCCHS (4-23) 9 16 17 9

MNHS: Brittany Everly 14, Meagan Sallee 12, Sara Gabbard 11, Amiea Sommers 11, Whitney Gunn 10, Hannah Reynolds 8, Taylor Hill 3, Kaitlyn Walley 2

HCCHS: Amber Coakley 23, Hannah Murphy 6, Whitney Orange 6, Shalara Wells 4, Brittney Orten 3, Courtney Snodgrass 3, Ashley Flener 2, Kaitlin Moore, Krhea Orten 2

Former North swimmers end season at Transy

By Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com

Published: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 11:06 PM CST

Six former swimmers from Madisonville-North Hopkins ended their 2008-09 seasons for Transylvania University at the Bluegrass Mountain Conference Championships in Charlotte, N.C. on Saturday.

Both the mens and womens teams claimed seventh place with three top-10 finishes coming from the one-time Maroons.

Junior Maggie Davenport collected two top-10 honors with both coming on separate medley relay teams. Davenport swam the first leg of the Pioneers’ fifth-place 400-yard medley relay team (4:06.11) and then also swam the first leg of the seventh-place 200 medley relay team (1:53.86).

Individually, Davenport took 22nd in the 200-yard backstroke (2:19.18) and 23rd in the 100 back (1:03.98).

Claire Dorris participated in the 1650-yard freestyle, taking 21st place with a time of 20:27.93.

On the mens side, Joseph Porter nabbed a top-10 placing when his 200-yard freestyle relay team finished ninth (1:28.00).

Porter’s twin Stephen made it to the finals in two events. Stephen posted an 18th-place finish in the 200 back (2:06.06) and 21st in the 100 back (:58.00).

Yunan Yang finished 24th in 100-yard breaststroke (1:03.51).

Daniel Porter swam the 100 breast time trial in 1:02.96.

Men’s basketball

Albert Jackson’s University of Georgia Bulldogs team captured its first Southeastern Conference victory of the season when the squad defeated the University of Florida on Saturday, 88-86.

Jackson, an Earlington native and former player at Hopkins County Central, finished the contest with nine points and seven rebounds. Six of Jackson’s boards came on the defensive end and he added two assists and one block.

Georgia dropped its first nine

See Season/Page B2

 SEC games before taking down the Gators.

Jackson made 3-of-5 field goals against the University of Tennessee on Feb. 11 for six points in his team’s 79-48 loss.

Brock Jones and the Transylvania University Pioneers gave their best effort against Franklin College (Ind.) on Feb. 11 in a battle for first place in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, but came up short.

Jones, a North graduate, made 4-of-5 shots from the field for nine points as Transylvania lost a tough one, 88-76. The loss snapped the Pioneers’ eight-game winning streak.

The team rebounded with a 58-53 victory against Bluffton University (Ohio) on Saturday. Jones, a senior, converted on both of his two free-throw attempts from the line for his only two points to go with a pair of rebounds and a block.

Women’s basketball

The Murray State University Racers continued their great play in Ohio Valley Conference action last week with two more victories to extend the team’s winning streak to a school-record 11 games.

Central product Angela Mullins has been integral to the success and provided plenty of support in her team’s 91-84 win against Tennessee Tech University on Feb. 12.

Mullins tied a career high with three blocks to go along with five points and six rebounds and carried that momentum to Murray’s next game.

During the Racers’ 71-56 victory against Jacksonville State University (Ala.), Mullins reached double figures with 10 points. The senior also recorded seven boards and had Murray’s only two blocks.

The Racers (17-6, 12-1) have not lost an OVC game since Dec. 6, 2008, an 84-76 overtime loss at Morehead State University.

Murray will next play at 7 p.m. today at Southeast Missouri State University.

Kari Jo Harris started two games for Lee University (Tenn.) last week to help the Lady Flames land two wins.

Harris, a 2008 Central graduate, tallied seven points and two rebounds in Lee’s 65-64 win against Southern Polytechnic State University (Ga.) on Feb. 12.

On Saturday, Harris started against Brewton-Parker College (Ga.). Harris collected one assist in three minutes of action while the Lady Flames downed the opposition 56-49.

Lee has won seven of its last eight games and has a 21-5 overall record.

Caitlin Owen scored two points and nabbed one rebound in Brescia University’s 69-56 win against Park University (Mo.) on Monday.

Owen, a Webster County graduate, connected on her lone field-goal attempt of the game.

After starting the season 4-19, the Lady Bearcats have now won three consecutive contests.

Men’s track

Former North track standout Barry Quinn participated in Middle Tennessee State University’s Valentine Invitational on Saturday.

Quinn, a sophomore at Western Kentucky University, finished the 800 meter run in 2:08.91.

Henderson pulls away, tops Central

By Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com

Published: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 12:23 AM CST

MORTONS GAP -- Pitted against the top squad in Region 2, the Hopkins County Central boys basketball team fell behind early, but appeared to have its second-half magic going once again until Henderson County utilized a fourth-quarter run for an eventual 83-66 win.

The Storm (18-8) trailed by as many as 16 in the first half, but rallied within three just inside the fourth quarter before losing the touch that put them back in the game against the Colonels (20-5).

Central chipped away at Henderson's advantage slowly, yet surely by trading four or five Storm points at a time for just two or three from the Colonels in the first eight and one-half minutes of play in the second half.

The method paid off as the third quarter progressed and Central found its way back into the game.

Helping the Storm rally back was an aggressive attack on both offense and defense. Forward Nikee Caldwell took a charge in the lane and the change in possession led to a Jones tip-in on the opposite side of the floor, cutting the Henderson lead to 48-41 with 4:41 left in the third.

On the ensuing Colonels' possession, Corey Coble stepped in front of a pass for a steal and ran the other way before finding an open Je'Vonte Hughes, who used the glass for a layup.

Central's Chuck Jones, a 6-9 post player, spearheaded the comeback attempt though with his powerful play inside. Jones, a senior, recorded 10 points in the third quarter alone en route to a game-high 25.

With 1:53 remaining in the third quarter, Jones pulled down a board on a missed Hughes three-point attempt and went strong to the bucket for two points. The basket brought the Storm within four points.

Jones continued to inch Central even closer to tying the game with another hard-earned score just inside the start of the fourth quarter at the 7:26 mark. After two consecutive Storm misses, Jones grabbed the rebound and drew contact for a three-point play opportunity. Jones sank the free throw to make it a 58-55 game, but unfortunately for Central the team did not come any closer.

Just a couple minutes later, Central's aggressive play on defense resulted in back-to-back Henderson trips to the line as the Storm attempted to create a pair of blocked shots. After the free throws, the Colonels led 62-55.

Henderson's lead hovered between six and 10 points for the next few minutes, but then the visiting squad put even more distance between its opposition. Brock Stone hit a pair of free throws with 2:42 to go for a 12-point advantage and the deficit never got any smaller for Central.

In the first quarter, Henderson quickly manufactured a sizable lead by charging ahead 21-9. Colonel standout Kevontae Hairlson paced the team with 19 points on the evening. Nine of Hairlson's points came on three three-point shots in the first five minutes.

During the second quarter, Central employed a 6-0 run as halftime neared to cut Henderson's lead to 10.

For the Storm, Hughes and Caldwell joined Jones in double figures with 11 and 10 points respectively while Henderson boasted five players with 10 or more points.

HCHS (20-5) 21 17 18 27 - 83

HCCHS (18-8) 12 15 25 14 - 66

HCHS: Kevontae Hairlson 19, Cole Childress 16, Brock Stone 14, DJ Holmes 11, Adam Revelett 10, Taylor Young 8, Ryan Haile 2, Patrick Neel 1

HCCHS: Chuck Jones 25, Je'Vonte Hughes 11, Nikee Caldwell 10, Dan Croft 8, Josh Riley 6, Cameron Tabor 4, Corey Coble 2

Second half lifts Lady Maroons to win

By Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter, nbrockman@the-messenger.com

Published: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 12:22 AM CST

Each basketball season coaches aim to have their team playing at its best heading into the final week of the schedule and the Madisonville-North Hopkins girls basketball team proved the Lady Maroons are in prime shape on Monday night.

Coach John Paul Cummings' Lady Maroons (13-8) overcame some early first-half struggles on Monday to defeat one of Region 3's top teams in Hancock County (16-7) by a score of 49-33.

North held just a five-point lead at halftime, but much like the team's victory against Hopkins County Central on Saturday, the separation came during the second half.

Cummings credited the Lady Maroons' recent success to extra time together during the past few weeks.

"This ice storm has been a blessing from God for us because we got to get in the gym and practice on our weaknesses," he said. "I think it's shown with our execution against Central down the stretch and our execution tonight down the stretch, we're just getting comfortable running our sets and seeing the angles."

The Lady Hornets boasted three players averaging in double digits entering the matchup, but North's defenders stepped up to limit Hancock's offensive firepower.

While the Lady Maroons limited Hancock to 18 first-half points, North forwards KeKe Drake and Tayla Foster carried the load inside.

"We wanted to go into the post early," Cummings said. "We felt like the last few games we've been trying to do that late, so we're trying to do that early and I thought the kids did a super job of executing."

The duo of Drake and Foster combined to score North's first 12 points and accumulated all but three during the first half of play. Junior Lyndi Tedder accounted for the other three points.

Down 10-6 late in the first quarter, the Lady Maroons made their first big run of the game by outscoring the Lady Hornets 11-0 over the next 5:47.

Defense took the spotlight in the second half though as North expanded its lead. Hancock converted on just one field-goal attempt during the third quarter.

By the start of the final quarter, the Lady Maroons had nearly doubled-up the opposition at 39-20.

After scoring 14 points in the first quarter, Lady Hornet Carli Mosby quieted down with just five in the second half. Mosby represented Hancock as the team's lone double-digit scorer.

For North, Drake and Foster finished with 20 and 18 points respectively while Tedder also reached double figures with 10.

Now, with his team performing at its best, Cummings said he and the girls are more than ready for next week's district tournament.

"This is what it is about in the state of Kentucky," he said. "Playing in February and March is what it's all about."

The Lady Maroons play next at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday at Russellville in the squad's final regular season game.

HCHS (16-7) 10 8 2 13 - 33

MNHHS (13-8) 10 13 16 10 - 49

HCHS: Carli Mosby 19, Hillary Jones 7, Taylor Wroe 4, Tanisha Johnson 2, Jaclyn Long 1

MNHHS: KeKe Drake 20, Tayla Foster 18, Lyndi Tedder 10, Mikuel Harris 1

Coakley, Orten lead Lady Storm

By Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com

Published: Saturday, February 14, 2009 12:23 AM CST

MORTONS GAP -- Most of the season the Hopkins County Central girls basketball team struggled to find a go-to scorer, but on Friday night the Lady Storm had two viable options all game long.

Seniors Amber Coakley and Brittney Orten combined to record 36 points as Central (4-19) downed Dawson Springs (1-17) 55-40 at Storm Gym.

Much like the boys matchup, Dawson kept the ballgame tight in the opening quarter, but Central pulled away as the game progressed.

Central dominated the second quarter with a 21-0 run led by Orten, who created offense by forcing turnovers and converting on shot attempts.

Coakley, who scored a game high 20 points, said the team brought extra energy into the quarter.

"Our momentum was up and we were hyped and we were ready to get the lead and keep the lead," she said.

Orten opened the second quarter with a pair of free throws and then converted on a pass from Coakley following a steal. On the next possession, Orten's younger sister Krhea drained a three-point shot from the left wing to give the Lady Storm a double-digit advantage at 21-10.

Orten and the Central crew continued to pour it on thereafter. Her three-point play with 3:15 before halftime put the Lady Storm in control 28-10.

Dawson's Brooke Randolph ended the drought with a three-pointer. At halftime, Central led 31-17.

The Lady Storm continued their dominance in the second half by adding to the advantage. Central also posted a season-low 17 turnovers.

As the third quarter winded to a close, point guard Hannah Murphy dove to the floor to create turnover. Coakley collected the basketball, looked to the clock, which read three seconds remaining, and passed ahead to Brittney Orten for an easy layup under the bucket as time expired. The basket put Central ahead 44-23.

The Lady Storm increased their lead to as many as 26 in the fourth, but the Panthers brought the deficit back below 20 and ended the game down 15.

With the conclusion of Friday's game, Central has won two of its last four games and lost another by just one point.

Orten said the close calls are more than welcome after a difficult start to the season.

"We haven't really been used to tight games, so it feels really good actually," she said. "I think we've been working so hard this last month. With everything that's been happening this season, we've had so many problems. Now, we've just been working 10 times harder than before."

One reason the girls have been so successful of late is Murphy's return to the lineup after missing much of the season to sickness.

Murphy's ball-handing abilities has alleviated stress from those who were charged to fill-in and allowed players like Orten to return to their regular roles.

"(Orten's) not a point guard, she's a two-guard," Flener said. "That's her true position and I've even played her in the post. She's done a great job and with Hannah back, I can put her at the point and allow (Orten) to play her true spot."

Central will look to continue its recent success at 6 p.m. today when the Lady Storm play host to Madisonville-North Hopkins.

DSHS (1-17) 10 7 6 17 - 40

HCCHS (4-19) 12 19 13 11 - 55

DSHS: Emilee Workman 14, Rihana McKnight 7, Brooke Randolph 7, Amber Genseal 6, Shelby Merrell 3, Sarah Bassett 2, Taylor Mills 1

HCCHS: Amber Coakley 20, Brittney Orten 16, Whitney Orange 6, Ashley Flener 5, Krhea Orten 3, Courtney Snodgrass 2, Brooke Daugherty 1, Hannah Murphy 1, Shalara Wells 1

Balance, defense lift Central past Dawson, 87-42

By Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com

Published: Saturday, February 14, 2009 12:23 AM CST

MORTONS GAP -- Friday night provided the boys basketball teams from Hopkins County Central and Dawson Springs with a chance to learn a little more about each other's strengths in a preview of their district matchup on Feb. 23.

The Panthers (6-14) kept the game close in the first quarter, but the Storm (18-6) utilized defensive pressure and a balanced offensive effort in the second to separate from Dawson in an eventual 87-42 win.

Dawson entered the game without starter Ethan Scott, who did not play due to an ankle injury he suffered in the second half of the Panthers' 71-56 loss to Crittenden County on Thursday night.

"We were really trying to make a statement since we drew them in the district," Central coach Matt Bell said. "It'll be a different ballgame come (Feb. 23) when we play them in the district. Scott will be back by then and he makes a big difference."

After the first eight minutes of action, Dawson trailed by four points, but Central turned up the intensity in the second quarter.

The Storm defense helped propel Central to a 17-0 run to begin the second by creating turnovers, which led to easy baskets.

"I don't like zone traps, but I felt like that's what we had to do to get some momentum going in the first half," Bell said.

Connor Moore came off the bench and provided a sizeable contribution to the run. During a three-minute stretch, Moore scored six points and recorded two steals and a block.

"His number was called and he's always ready," Bell said. "Connor is intelligent and can give us a lot of vital minutes down the road too."

Moore said it felt great to be such an integral part of his team's success.

"I really didn't expect to play in the first half, but I got in," he said. "I just got in the game and it felt great to contribute.

"Even though you're on the bench, you still have to stay focused and be ready to play any time."

Aaron Duke ended Central's scoring streak when he nailed a jumper with 4:02 to go before halftime. By that time, Dawson trailed 36-17. Junior Jacob Patton scored the Panthers' other lone field goal of the quarter with 31 seconds left in the second.

The Storm entered intermission with a 44-22 advantage.

Finding an offensive answer did not prove any easier for Dawson in the opening minutes of the third quarter when Central manufactured an 11-0 run to begin the second half. The Panthers also committed three turnovers in the first 55 seconds of play.

Ahead 64-31 with 2:45 left in the third, Bell inserted his reserves for some quality minutes and they did not disappoint by maintaining the same healthy lead.

Bell said he was glad to get his bench players some action and recognition for their contributions to the team.

"Those kids are our future and any time they can get some valuable minutes like that and really have chance to play a bit at that level, it's going to give them confidence this year or down the road in years to come," he said.

Central's bench finished the contest with 36 points.

Chuck Jones, the Storm's leading scorer on the night with 24, said the team's reserves couldn't have picked a better time of the season to succeed.

"We were real excited about our bench coming up strong," he said. "They're going to have to come up strong. We haven't been that deep all year and for them to step up at the end of the year, that's what we need."

Notes: During today's boy-girl doubleheader between Central and Madisonville-North Hopkins, coaches from both schools will sport tennis shoes while collections will be made for Coaches vs. Cancer.

The program has been long associated with the college ranks, but this will mark the first time with Central's participation.

The event was originally scheduled to take place against Union County during the last weekend of January, but inclement weather postponed the game.

"We thought it would be a good idea, should have a good crowd," Bell said of the rescheduled date with the Maroons. "We can raise a little money to help find a cure for cancer."

Student ambassadors will take collections during both games.

"Hopefully everybody can find an extra dollar or two in their pockets and give to a good cause," Bell said.

n Before Friday evening's game, former Storm basketball player J.T. Riddle presented guard Corey Coble with a special game ball honoring Coble's achievement for breaking Central's all-time assist record (405).

Coble broke the record during the Storm's 74-46 victory against Ft. Campbell on Monday and entered Friday with 417.

Riddle previously held the milestone with 404.

DSHS (6-14) 15 7 13 7 - 42

HCCHS (18-6) 19 25 29 14 - 87

DSHS: Aaron Duke 16, Wes Mitchell 11, Braxton Burden 7, Jacob Patton 6, Brett Cobb 2, Dayton Reed 1

HCCHS: Chuck Jones 24, Je'Vonte Hughes 11, Connor Moore 11, Nikee Caldwell 10, Josh Riley 7, Dan Croft 6, Jake Hopper 6, Cameron Tabor 6, Justin VanVactor 4, Jessie Almon 2

Five North swimmers to compete in today's state meet

By Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com

Published: Friday, February 13, 2009 12:23 AM CST

Since October, Madisonville-North Hopkins swimmers have had one common goal: get to state. Today, that goal will be realized by five Lady Maroons who will compete with the Bluegrass' best at Ralph Wright Natatorium in Louisville.

Mary Katherine Kington and Ellen Whittington will each swim in two individual events and North will also participate in two relay races.

"The difficult part is qualifying, so we're here, but we didn't want to let up and rest on our laurels," coach Jason Clark said regarding the week's practice regime. "We want to do well at state too. Really, at this point, the biggest emphasis was on our two relays because you get double points in relays. The better that they do, the better our overall team standings will be.

Kington (100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard individual medley) and Whittington (50-yard freestyle, 100 free) both qualified for the same events as 2008 and will look to improve upon their previous performances.

Last season, Kington took 13th in the 100 breast (1:11.30) while Whittington finished 13th in the 50 free (:25.95) and 15th in the 100 free (:56.90).

Kington, Carli and Ellen Whittington and Kathleen Ewing will participate in the 200 free relay and Kington, the Whittington sisters and Rachel Dorris will swim in the 200 medley relay.

This year marks the fourth consecutive time the 200 free relay has advanced to state and the third year in a row for the 200 medley relay.

Clark said it's the last time for the girls as a group to get a medal because this is Kington's senior season.

"I would love to see those girls get up there and get a medal," he said.

The top eight finishers from each event will advance to the finals round.

In 2008, the 200 medley relay team finished 10th (1:56.12) and the 200 free relay claimed 13th (1:45.23).

This year, Clark said the relay teams are seeded eighth and ninth respectively.

Kington and Ellen Whittington will no doubt be ready for their relays after swimming individually as well, but North's other three swimmers will have to prepare in the natatorium's second pool, which will be used for open warm-ups.

"We're going to make sure Rachel and Carli and Kathleen all get in and have their reps in and have their bodies warmed up and ready to go actually prior to racing," he said.

There is also a chance Carli Whittington may swim individually since she is the first alternate for the 100 free, which she qualified for last year.

"I'm hoping to get there and they say 'Hey, guess what? Somebody scratched,' and Carli is in there again," Clark said. "We'll have to see."

Clark and the Lady Maroons maintained their rigorous practice regime this week at the Hopkins County Family YMCA in preparation for today's action.

"We really took an opportunity to fine tune our relay transitions, fast aggressive starts, fast finishes and make sure we have those transitions down as well as we can," he said.

Thursday night, Clark and the swimmers traveled to Louisville for a warm-up swim at the natatorium.

The "swim-through" will help North adjust to its environment and surroundings.

"We want to make sure we have our stroke counts down for those that are swimming backstroke," Clark said. "We want to make sure where our breaths will be when we are swimming the length, make sure we get off the turns and get past those flags."

Clark said the girls will also work on getting comfortable with the pool's blocks, which are different from most other schools.

In addition, Thursday's session will present more simplistic benefits.

"Really, we'll have an opportunity to get our body used to the water temperature because every pool you swim has a different water temperature," Clark said. "You can get over that initial shock and at least kind of a have an idea of what it's going to be like."

North begins the state finals swim meet today at the University of Louisville.

Crittenden pulls away to defeat Dawson Springs

By Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com

Published: Friday, February 13, 2009 12:23 AM CST

NORTONVILLE -- The Dawson Springs boys basketball team played Crittenden County to a one-point game at halftime, but when senior Ethan Scott went down with an ankle injury in the third quarter, so did the Panthers hope of victory.

At the time, Dawson (6-13) held a 41-40 advantage, but during Scott's five-minute absence, the Rockets (5-10) struck for a 16-4 run and eventually broke away for a 71-56 victory.

With 4:45 to go in the third, Scott fell to the ground holding his ankle after he landed on it awkwardly in an attempt to corral a loose basketball. After a few minutes, Scott got back up and hobbled off the court on one foot with the help of the Panthers' trainer.

Dawson maintained a 44-44 tie with under three minutes left in the third, but Crittenden crafted an 11-0 rally to take a commanding lead early in the fourth.

Scott returned just inside the final quarter, but the damage had been done.

The Rockets continued to pound the ball inside and produce three-point play opportunities. Crittenden recorded eight three-point play attempts, including five in the second half.

Rocket forward Gaige Courtney handled the bulk of the load inside as he battled all game long beneath the basket. Courtney finished with a game-high 21 points.

The Panthers cut the deficit to 10 with a pair of free throws with 2:14 to play, but failed to convert a field-goal attempt in the final 3:20 of the game.

In the first half, both teams played very tight with many ties and lead chances.

Courtney quickly established his presence with seven points in the first quarter.

Down 15-12 with 1:54 in the first quarter, Dawson appeared to catch the first break of the game.

A Rocket player committed a personal foul on Panther Dayton Reed. Crittenden coach Rob Towery argued the call, but received a technical foul. Reed sank each of the four free throws and Dawson retained possession. On the ensuing possession, Reed nearly knocked down a three-pointer, which would have been a seven-point swing.

In the second quarter, Aaron Duke gave the Panthers their largest lead of the game at four points, 24-20, when he went strong to the rim.

Brett Cobb and Wes Mitchell each posted 14 points to lead Dawson offensively.

CCHS (5-10) 17 16 20 18 - 71

DSHS (6-13) 18 14 12 12 - 56

CCHS: Gaige Courtney 21, Casey Oliver 15, Cody Dunham 13, Alex Porter 8, Brandon Deboe 5, Cody Holzer 5, Dylan Clark 4

DSHS: Brett Cobb 14, Wes Mitchell 14, Aaron Duke 8, Dayton Reed 8, Ethan Scott 8, Braxton Burden 2, Jacob Patton 2

Former Maroon shining for Transy

By Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com

Published: Thursday, February 12, 2009 12:24 AM CST

Transylvania University sixth man Brock Jones tallied seven points and six rebounds to help his Pioneer basketball team defeat Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Ind.) 60-47 on Saturday.

The victory extended Transylvania's winning streak to eight games and propelled the Pioneers (16-4, 10-2) into a first-place tie atop the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference standings with Franklin College (Ind.).

Jones, a Madisonville-North Hopkins product, converted on 5-of-10 shot attempts and added a single free throw for 11 points in Transylvania's 53-48 win against Defiance College (Ohio) on Feb. 4.

The former Maroon provided the bulk of his team's offense from the Pioneer bench as the reserves outscored Defiance's bench players 14-0.

Jones, a senior, also added a team-high seven rebounds in the winning effort.

Transylvania faced off with Franklin on Wednesday night in a battle for sole possession of first place in the HCAC, but no stats were available at press time.

Former Hopkins County Central player Albert Jackson returned to the University of Georgia starting lineup on Saturday against the University of South Carolina after coming off the bench for several games.

Jackson, a 6-11 junior, posted nine points and six rebounds as well as a team-high two blocks. The Bulldog center fouled out before he could add any more production though and Georgia fell 79-68.

In his previous game, Jackson recorded two points and four rebounds in an 80-62 loss to Louisiana State University.

Women's basketball

Angela Mullins and the Murray State University Racers continued their success on the hardwood with back-to-back wins against Tennessee State University and Austin Peay State University (Tenn.) last week.

Mullins, who formerly starred at Central, scored six points and collected two rebounds in Murray's 94-76 victory against Austin Peay on Saturday.

Mullins, a senior, made 3-of-5 field goal attempts and had one of her team's two blocks on the night.

On Feb. 4, the 6-3 Mullins amounted four points and two rebounds as the Racers defeated Tennessee State 97-93.

Murray has now won nine straight games since losing 73-69 at Miami University (Ohio) of the Mid-American Conference and the squad currently stands at 15-6 overall and 10-1 in Ohio Valley Conference action.

Kari Jo Harris, also a former Central standout, notched five points, two rebounds and two steals for Lee University (Tenn.) against Emmanuel College (Ga.) on Tuesday.

Despite Harris' effort, the NAIA seventh-ranked Lady Flames fell 55-54.

During the previous game, Harris nabbed one assist in five minutes of play as Lee defeated Auburn University Montgomery (Ala.) 80-68 on Feb. 5.

Webster County graduate Caitlin Owen grabbed a team-high five rebounds in Brescia University's 69-59 loss to Park University (Mo.) on Saturday.

The Lady Bearcats rebounded with a 72-59 victory against Berea College on Tuesday, but no statistics were available. Brescia will play host to Voorhees College (S.C.) at 7 p.m. Friday.

Women's swimming

Former North swimming star Emile Ewing posted three top-five performances for Auburn University (Ala.) to help the Tigers down Florida State University and Texas A&M University on Saturday.

Auburn defeated the Seminoles 166-120, but just edged the eighth-ranked Aggies 142.5-140.5.

Ewing, a senior, swam anchor on Auburn's second-place 200-yard medley relay team (1:44.54).

Individually, Ewing took third place in the 200-yard backstroke (2:00.07) as the Tigers claimed the top three spots in the race.

During the 50-yard freestyle, Ewing finished fifth of 13 swimmers in :23.71, just .61 seconds off the winning time.

North's Clark receives Region 1 coach award

By Nick Brockman, Messenger Sports Reporter nbrockman@the-messenger.com

Published: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 12:24 AM CST

A good coach tries to maintain focus on the athletes, but Madisonville-North Hopkins swim coach Jason Clark's kids returned the favor this week.

Clark earned the Region 1 Girls Coach of the Year award during Saturday's regional meet at the Owensboro Health Park. After the event, Clark phoned The Messenger with the results and told of Ellen Whittington's Most Outstanding Competitor award, but failed to mention his own.

On Tuesday, senior Mary Katherine Kington unleashed the news.

"I figured when it wasn't in the paper the next day, he kind of just skipped over that little detail," she said.

Clark, humble as always, said the omission had a purpose.

"I didn't mention that intentionally," he said. "I thought that article needed to be about the kids. I kind of left that out of there.

With a laugh, Clark said, "I'll figure out which kid that was and make sure she swims extra (Wednesday)."

The honor is Clark's second in his four years as head coach for North; he also won in 2005, his first year.

Although the plaque may read his name, Clark said he couldn't have achieved the honor without his athletes' success.

"It's the effort that the kids put into the pool that makes me look good," he said. "When the other coaches are impressed with the swimming of the kids, I really think it's a credit to their hard work and perseverance throughout the season.

"I just happen to reap the benefits of that. I know if it were not for them doing what they do every single day and putting every effort into the regional meet that I would not have gotten that award."

Kington, who qualified for two individual events for state on Saturday, said Clark's intelligence and personality combine to make him deserving of the coach-of-the-year title.

"He's very knowledgeable about the strokes and he's good with the technique," she said. "He picks up on the little things we need to work on and he is a very good motivator. He's always upbeat and cheerful at practice and that makes it a whole lot easier to swim for somebody who's positive at practice."

Clark assumed control of the North swimmers following the retirement of former coach Charley Rothe.

With two years as an assistant under his belt already, Clark began to understand the roles of a head coach in his third season.

"During the course of that year, (Rothe) started to put a few more responsibilities on me that he hadn't really done before," Clark said. "He had me start to do more meet lineups and give him my justifications and have me tell him why I would put a swimmer here instead of another event. I had to write a few more practices than he had asked me to do in the past."

At the conclusion of the year, Clark said he had a three-inch binder full of practices.

While Rothe may have provided Clark with the materials to take the reigns as coach, Clark said his own high school swim coach, Lairy Nofsinger, has had an equally important role with how he conducts the program.

"(Nofsinger) earned admiration from everyone, not just in swimming, but in education and just being a figure about town," Clark said. "He's just a very well-respected member of our community. If I could have any of the impact that he's had in the lives of young people then I think I would have accomplished something."

Kington, a fifth-year Lady Maroon swimmer, has also coached with Clark at the Madisonville Golf and Country Club during summers and said he has been a good role model.

"He has a good heart and he loves what he does and he cares genuinely about the kids," she said. "I think he was more nervous at regionals than we were. He really cares about us and wants us to succeed in every aspect of life."

Despite all the hard work, amount of time and dedication necessary to be successful year in and year out, Clark said there's one moment that makes everything pay off.

"When a swimmer climbs out of the pool and looks at the time on the display and sees what he or she just accomplished, not knowing that he or she had that in themselves, but me believing in them all along and seeing them realize that," he said. "You can just read it on their expression the moment they climb out of the pool and that's why I'm in it."

Clark hopes to see several of such moments this weekend as North will send five swimmers to Friday and Saturday's state meet at Ralph Wright Natatorium at the University of Louisville.

Kington (100-yard breastroke, 200 individual medley) and Whittington (50-yard freestyle, 100 free) will compete individually. Kington, Carli and Ellen Whittington and Kathleen Ewing will participate in the 200 free relay and Kington, the Whittington sisters and Rachel Dorris will swim in the 200 medley relay.

Storm routs Ft. Campbell, 74-46

By Nick Brockman
Messenger Sports Reporter, nbrockman@the-messenger.com

Published: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 12:23 AM CST

FORT CAMPBELL -- Whether Matt Bell likes it or not, his Hopkins County Central boys' basketball team is a second-half squad and the Storm proved that point once again with a 74-46 victory against Fort Campbell on Monday night.

Ahead just seven points at halftime, the Storm (16-6) rallied hard in the final two quarters to overcome the speedy Falcons (3-12) and cruise to a 28-point win.

"It's not like that's part of the game plan," Bell said of his team's typical late runs. "We want to go ahead and do a lot of good things early in the first half. Every team has an identity and I guess that's this team's identity, kind of keep it close until halftime and see what we can do in the second half."

Central big man Chuck Jones opened the third quarter with four straight points and the Storm never let their lead slip back under double digits.

Jones also provided a powerful force with his 6-foot-9 presence as he collected rebound after rebound en route to a game-high 16. Central outrebounded the Falcons 43-29. Nikee Caldwell notched seven boards while Dan Croft and Josh Riley each posted six.

The rebounds proved vital to Central's success as the Storm utilized them to counter Fort Campbell's quickness.

"I think they're the fastest team in region, even faster than Christian County," Bell said. "This is a good test and I think we did a lot better job taking care of the basketball, a lot fewer turnovers. We had our head up a lot more and didn't dribble into trouble."

Guard Corey Coble agreed with his coach and discussed the strategy when taking on a fast-paced squad.

"There's a lot of ball fakes and a lot of head fakes, you just have to keep them on their toes," he said.

Coble finished with four assists and the last gave him sole possession of Central's all-time record with 405, passing J.T. Riddle.

"Corey is so unselfish," Bell said. "He just wants to find people and get them the ball. He knew the first game how many he had to get.

"We told him it was possible, but we didn't know if he could do it or not and he proved us all wrong with five, six games left in the season. It's just something special because he is such a special kid and well-deserving of that award."

Originally, Coble, a senior, left the game with 4:15 to go in the fourth and tied for the record.

When Coble reached the bench, the players and coaches ribbed him for not getting just one more. Word reached Bell and he inserted Coble back into the game a minute later.

Coble had a few chances, finding a couple of open teammates, but they could not knock down the shots. Then, Bell drew up a play for the record-breaking assist.

From underneath the Central basket, Coble in-bounded the ball to Cameron Tabor in the lane with 2:28 left. Tabor took the pass and spun to the bucket for two points, giving Coble the new mark to beat.

After the game, Coble said it's quite unusual to have a play created for someone just to get an assist.

"Honestly, I don't think that's ever happened before," he said. "I don't have many plays set up for me to score. That situation, it's nice to have a play set up for me to get the assist."

Although the honor means a lot to him, Coble said he's got more accomplishments on his mind.

"I've been looking forward to that and it's nice to achieve a goal," he said. "At the same time, you have make more goals to set up for like we're trying to get 20 wins this season, so that's more important."

Offensively, Je'Vonte Hughes and Croft joined Jones in double-figure scoring with 13 and 10 points respectively. Central nearly posted five players with double digits as Josh Riley and Cameron Tabor both came off the bench to score eight points each.

HCCHS (16-6) 18 15 24 17 - 74

FCHS (3-12) 10 16 10 10 - 46

HCCHS: Chuck Jones 21, Je'Vonte Hughes 13, Dan Croft 10, Josh Riley 8, Cameron Tabor 8, Nikee Caldwell 7, Corey Coble 5, Justin VanVactor 2

FCHS: Tre Powell 17, RaQuan Durrante 11, D.J. Davis 10, Brian Hargraves 6, J.D. Ervin 2

Central's French, Ipock among top finishers

By Nick Brockman

Published: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 12:23 AM CST

Messenger Sports Reporter, nbrockman@the-messenger.com

The Hopkins County Central swim team entered the pool for the final time of the season in Saturday's Region 1 meet at Owensboro Health Park and the Lady Storm led the charge.

Central's female swimmers, paced by junior Ellen French, accounted for 26 points for the school en route to a 13th place finish.

"Overall, the kids improved their times," coach Cheryl Vaughn said. "They go out everyday and practice hard for us and raced hard for us throughout the whole season. We're just really proud of them."

French turned in the highest finish of the meet for Central and broke her own school record in the 100-yard backstroke (seventh, 1:05.81).

For a moment, Vaughn said French thought she had placed even higher.

French finished sixth in her heat, but a swimmer from the previous heat had a time slightly higher than the Lady Storm swimmer.

Later, French collected another seventh-place finish in the 50-yard freestyle (:26.60), 1.44 seconds behind the event's winner.

In the 400-yard freestyle relay, French anchored her squad as the Lady Storm claimed seventh. Ellen Cox, Lindsey Hooper and Rebecca Spraggs joined French on the top-10 finish.

Cox nearly cracked the top-10 in the 100 back when she took 15th with a time of 1:11.10.

The 200-yard medley relay team of Cox, French, Hooper and Spraggs captured 14th overall in 2:14.64.

Individually, Hooper shaved six seconds off her personal record in the 500-yard freestyle (21st, 6:43.75).

"She's just worked so hard at that event all season and had to get under seven minutes to qualify," Vaughn said.

On the boys side, senior Wesley Ipock turned in a great effort in his final high school meet. Ipock snagged 15th place in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:15.45) and finished 30th in the 50 free (:26.98) in a field of nearly 80 swimmers.

Vaughn said Ipock will be missed for more things than just his swimming talents.

"He just does so much for the team," she said. "He's not only athletic, but he's a great leader. He's got such a great sense of humor. He's just everybody's friend."

Central's youth may have prevented the team from earning more points in this year's regional, but Vaughn said her squad can learn from the experience.

"It just gives them a chance to see how competitive this sport is and how hard it is to break into the top six," she said.

Other Central swimmers who participated in Saturday's regional meet included the following:

Boys

50-yard freestyle: Tanner Patterson, 69th (:33.60), Clay Cunningham, 70th (:34.51)

100-yard backstroke: Chase Durrance, 31st (1:20.05), Kain Bean, 32nd (1:20.32), Cody Patterson, 36th (1:26.07), Tanner Patterson, 38th (1:28.65)

100-yard butterfly: Cody Patterson, 26th (1:22.06)

100-yard freestyle: Bean, 47th (1:08.78), Durrance, 57th (1:12.32), Cunningham, 64th (1:22.50)

200-yard freestyle relay: Cody Patterson, Bean, Durrance and Wesley Ipock, 17th (2:03.21)

Girls

50-yard freestyle: Hooper, 54th (:33.35), Kailyn Brown, 58th (:34.33)

100-yard backstroke: Kathyrn Cartwright, 40th (1:27.22), Nicole Denova, 44th (1:30.87)

100-yard breaststroke: Spraggs, 22nd (1:25.47), Brown, 45th (1:43.55)

100-yard freestyle: Spraggs, 33rd (1:08.81), Denova, 63rd (1:20.34), Courtney Kolb, 63th (1:20.42), Sara Fleischman, 72nd (1:34.58)

200-yard freestyle: Kathyrn Cartwright, 38th (2:46.24), Tailer Cartwright, 45th (2:59.22), Kolb, 46th (2:59.96), Tanner Cartwright, 52nd (3:23.43)

200-yard freestyle relay: Kathyrn Cartwright, Tailer Cartwright, Denova, Brown, 18th (2:21.84)

200-yard individual medley: Kyllie Bean, 30th (4:13.79)