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Hope springs eternal!
Tomorrow the hopes of the Cardinal Nation will be put to the test as the 2009 MLB season begins.
The Redbirds host Pittsburgh in their season opener.
Some good mojo. The Birds are 17-14 all-time vs. the Pirates on opening day, 16-10 at Busch Stadium.
Adam Wainwright will get the nod as the opening day starter.
Wainwright and 2005 Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter will be asked to anchor the Cards rotation this year. Health is the major concern with these two. Last year injuries limited both to a combined 23 starts. They'll hope for about 60 combined starts from the two this year.
Jason Motte enters the role of closer. It was a role that was a complete disaster last year with Jason Isringhausen's struggles and the bullpen-by-committee approach the team took in the second half of the season.
Albert Pujols returns off his MVP season last year. He's joined by a lot of the same faces in the batting order.
Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel return in the outfield with hot prospect Colby Rasmus and Chris Duncan sharing time in left field.
Skip Schumaker moves from the outfield to second base. Khalil Greene, the team's only real big off-season acquisition, is the new shortstop. Troy Glaus will man third base once healthy, but until then it looks like rookie David Freese will hold down the hot corner.
Yadier Molina is back behind the plate.
On paper, seems like a team that could challenge the Cubs for the division title.
But, as always, baseball not played on paper.
What are your thoughts on this year's Birds?
Comment below and we'll share some of those comments on the Sunday night News at 10.
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It started with Billy Donovan, who just minutes after UK fired Billy Gillispie, took his name out of the running.
Donovan released a statement that he was committed to his job at Florida.
Okay, so scratch him off the list.
Some others have appeared to follow suit.
Memphis' John Calipari told reporters on his return to town that he wants to coach at Memphis and he knows his name will be linked to every job opening, but fans have gotten used to that.
Villanova's Jay Wright also took his name out of the running. Wright said he was happy at Villanova and doesn't want to be anywhere else. No surprise, seeing how his 'Cats are playing for a spot in the Final Four on Saturday.
Still really nothing from the Travis Ford camp. Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder did say, as of Friday night, no one had contacted him about talking to Ford about any coaching vacancies.
Tom Izzo told the Detroit Free Press he was happy at Michigan State.
Some other names that have surfaced include Ohio State's Thad Matta, Pitt's Jamie Dixon and Texas' Rick Barnes.
I'm sure more names will be added to that list, just as names will be dropped from the list in the coming days.
Let's just hope this thing plays out quickly.
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For the sake of Kentucky basketball, I might not ever cover another Sweet Sixteen.
Two years ago when I followed Southern Illinois to San Jose for the Sweet Sixteen, Tubby Smith up and left UK for the head coaching job at Minnesota.
Two years later, it appears UK is ready for another coaching change.
Billy Gillispie's impending departure has been the big story in the Bluegrass despite the fact Rick Pitino has Louisville on the verge of a national title.
And yes, the coaching rumors have stretched all the way to Indy where UK is not the only high profile school that is on the lookout for a new head coach.
Arizona is trying to find a permanent replacement for legendary Lute Olson. Russ Pennell has filled in on an interim basis all season, but regardless of what he does here in Indy or beyond, he will not be considered as a full-time replacement.
So the rumors have swilred about Pitino being a possible replacement. He did his best to shoot down those rumors yesterday.
Also on Arizona's shopping list appears to be Memphis' John Calipari. Ironcially, Coach Cal is also to be rumored to be on the UK list as well. The dominos could start falling shortly after Calipari and his Memphis Tigers were tossed out of the tournament last night by Mizzou.
The UK job has also been a topic of discussion here in Indy. Kansas coach Bill Self, who is a close friend of Gillispie and had him as an assistant on his staff at Illinois and Tulsa, had these comments on the situation.
"You know, I don't think it's fair. You've had a lot of coaches over time that struggled in their first few years on a job. One of them lives and resides in Durham, N.C (Duke's Mike Krzyzewski.) You know, 10 Final Fours later and three national championships later, they're probably glad they didn't move on that. I think Billy is the same way. Given time, he'll have Kentucky competing for championships again."
Gillispie doesn't appear to be getting any more time in Lexington.
That leads us to Michigan State's Tom Izzo, who also has been rumored to be on UK's shopping list.
Izzo had this to say on Thursday when asked about his name circulating the coaching rumors.
"You know, I just answer them the same way I always have. I think I've been always honest. One or two jobs that I've looked at, for me personally, I always went through my president. He always knew what was going on. Usually my athletic director. And I would say that anybody that answers them that they have no interest in anything, that's insane, because nobody else in America would ever feel that way. And yet the best way I can answer it is, you know, I probably would never say never. But I would say this: I am so happy where I'm at. I have a wife and kids. My wife has a lot of family where I'm at. I have goals still of what I want to achieve at Michigan State. They have not been achieved. I'd like to leave the place not only, when I'm done, better than I got it, but I'd like to leave it with a footprint that hopefully will last many decades after. So there's still things we have to accomplish. I'm just going to keep doing my job and get through and think it's flattering if a job here or there, if somebody thinks we're doing the right things, that there's interest. But I've been taken very well care of at Michigan State. I have as good a facilities as anybody in the country. I get paid more than fairly. I've got goals and objectives yet to fulfill. I would just say that for me 'never' just means - I think it's crazy when people say that. But for me, I'm very happy where I'm at."
Doesn't exactly sound like a firm "no."
A couple other names linked to the potential UK search are Rick Barnes at Texas and Travis Ford at Oklahoma State.
Barnes turned down UK two years ago because of his friendship with Tubby Smith. Barnes didn't feel Tubby got a fair shake and didn't want to take a job at a place that did his friend wrong. So I'd be surprised if Barnes gives UK another look this time around.
Ford, in my opinion, would be a home run hire. He's a former UK hoops hero. He's from Madisonville and fully understands what it means to be a head coach at UK, something Gillispie struggled with. Ford also is a very talented coach who took a struggling Oklahoma State program and brought them into the second round of the NCAA Tournament in his first year.
Regardless, the UK job appears to be the first link in a long line of dominos.
If the 'Cats are able to land Florida's Billy Donovan, that could have a rippling effect across the SEC.
Alabama is ready to hire VCU head coach and former Florida assistant Anthony Grant.
But it looks like Grant is waiting to see what happens with Donovan and UK. Grant would most likely be offered the Florida job if Donovan were to leave, which would leave Alabama high and dry.
Donovan is just about a free man until April 1st. That's when his services will come with a somewhat hefty cost of $500,000 buyout from Florida.
Until then, the carousel will continue to spin round and round.
Hopefully we'll have some answers soon.
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Welcome to Nashville and the OVC Tournament. Eight teams and two bids for the NCAA Tournament are on the line this weekend.
Continue to check in here for a live blog from the Music City as we bring the OVC Tournament to you.
12:09am
We must be the grim reaper. First the Murray women, next the Martin men and now the Murray men. 0-3 in Nashville. No NCAA Tournament bid. Murray goes 0-15 from three-point range and fall behind by 22 in the second in a 67-50 loss to APSU. We have a postgame wrap up, including the postgame press conference in our OVC Tournament Central section. So the finals are set, it's Peay and Morehead in the men and EIU and Peay in the women. We'll see who is Big Dance bound tomorrow.
10:10pm
Not much to blog about in this one between Murray State and Austin Peay. Racers got down 11 at the half thanks to some poor shooting (0-9 from three-point range) and have now fallen behind by 20 in the second half. It looks like the unthinkable is about to happen. All three of our local teams will be one-and-done in Nashville. Never thought it would happen. We'll check in later after this one wraps up.
8:05 pm
The # 1 seed UT Martin has been upset. Morehead State beats UTM, 63 to 55. Lester Hudson had 35 in his final game as a Skyhawk. The story of the game is the Morehead State defense. Although they didn't stop Hudson from going over 30, they were able to keep everyone else on UTM silent. The Eagles's drove to the basket all night and were able to get to the free thow line. Kenneth Faried was a force under the rim for the Eagles. Morehead will play the winner of Austin Peay and Murray State tomorrow night.
7:47 pm
3:36 left in UT Martin's season. Morehead leads 55 to 49. Lester Hudson is keeping the Skyhawks in the game all by himself. If UTM is going to come back, someone else is going to have to contribute. Morehead continues to stick with what works, which is drive to the lane and draw the foul.
7:36 pm
7:36 left in the game. Morehead leads 52 to 44. Lester Hudson has 30 points and is yet to come out of the game. Meanwhile Morehead's rebounding is keeping them out in front.
7:30 pm
9:53 left in the game. Morehead leads 48 to 40. Timeout taken by the Skyhawks as they try to put some points on the board. The Eagles' offensive rebounding continues to be the factor as 1 of these teams will be punching a ticket to tomorrow's championship game.
7:24 pm
11:37 left in the game Morehead leads UTM 43 to 40. Lester Hudson has finally received some offensive help from the Skyhawks. UTM is on a 10 to 6 run here as they try to trim into Morehead's lead. The Skyhawks are starting to break through Morehead's transition defense which is leading to open looks at the basket.
7:14 pm
15:58 left in the game. Morehead leads UTM 37 to 30. Lester Hudson is doing everything he can for the Skyhawks, but he has yet to have any help on the offensive side. Meanwhile, Morehead's Kenneth Faried continues to dominate the offensive boards for the Eagles, giving them second chances.
7:02 pm
It's Halftime. Morehead is leading UTM, 30 to 24. The first couple of minutes was all about getting the nerves out of the way for both teams. Morehead's defense has been the star of the game so far, holding UTM to just 24 points. The Eagles' defense continues to force turnovers and grab rebounds. Lester Hudson has 16 points, shooting 4 for 7 from beyond the arc. Marquis Weddle has yet to be a factor for the Skyhawks. On offense, Morehead's attack continues to penetrate UTM's defense and get to the free throw line.
5:46pm
Welcome back to the Sommet Center as we get set for the men's semifinals. The first game pits the #1 seed UT Martin against the #4 seed Morehead State. UTM beat the Eagles last Saturday by 15 to clinch their first-ever OVC regular season title. Lester Hudson is on fire lately. The senior (and OVC Player of the Year) scored 29 in that win over Morehead and dropped 42 on Tennessee Tech in the quarterfinal round. Look for him to have another big game. We'll be blogging throughout this game, so keep checking back for updates. Let's Go Skyhawks!!!
1:47pm
The Racer women have been upset. The #1 seed is beat 90-84 by Austin Peay. Both teams shot the lights out (Murray 53.7%, APSU 50.7%), but the Govs were able to come up with a few more stops to win. They also hit all but one free throw down the stretch to help ice it. A tough way for Hayes and the Guffey twins to finish their OVC careers (they'll still play in the WNIT.) The three combined for 79 points (all but five) and 62 shots (all but seven), but it wasn't enough. Peay grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and they converted most of those into points. Murray got down 7 with about 7:00 to go. They were able to cut it to one, but couldn't get over the hump. We're getting set to head to the team's press conference. We'll have that posted online shortly.
12:39pm
It's halftime. Not the prettiest half of basketball for the Racers. They gave up a ton of easy shots and offensive rebounds and Austin Peay gladly accepted. But despite the struggles on the defensive end, the Racers have still manage a 39-38 halftime lead. The big three have come to play for Murray State. Ashley Hayes has 15, Amber Guffey 11 and Paige Guffey has 10 points at the half. Murray is going to have to play a little better defense and force some tougher looks for Austin Peay to pull away in this one. But if the Racers can continue to score, they should be able to survive and advance. We'll see you after the game!
11:37am
Murray State women are about to take the floor against Austin Peay in the first semifinal game of the day. The Racers are the #1 seed and are looking for a second straight trip to the NCAA tournament. On paper, Murray State should have no problem with Peay. The Racers won the two match-ups this year by 10 and 18 points respectively. But then again, games aren't played on paper. Racers got a scare in the quarterfinals before pulling away from #8 seed Jacksonville State and the Govs are the "Cinderella" team of the tournament. They're the only lower seed on either the men's or women's side to advance to the semifinals. We'll check in at halftime!
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I've been asked to blog about the OVC for a great college basketball website this season; www.rushthecourt.wordpress.com.
The site is a collection of daily blogs about college basketball.
I'll be providing an OVC blog every two weeks throughout the season.
Here's a link to my first installment: Checking in on the OVC
Below is my second installment that was posted on Friday.
As always, feel free to comment below!!!
On paper, this might seem like the same old Ohio Valley Conference. But the league, in fact, is actually off to a pretty good start. In Thursday’s RPI, the OVC had three teams in the top 116. Last season, only two teams in the OVC finished in the top 200 (Austin Peay #64 and Murray State #179.) I know it’s VERY early in the season, but Jacksonville State (#65) and Murray State (#93) are both top 100. It might not be much to most mid-majors, but it’s a sign that OVC is moving in the right direction. Baby steps. But the reality check is Eastern Illinois is #343. That’s #343 out of 343. Dead last in case you’re still a bit confused. Tennessee State is not much better at #333. Like we said, baby steps. As a league, they’re hovering around #23 in the RPI, which is a major upgrade from last year’s #28 finish. In case you were wondering, the best the league has finished in the past decade was #18 in 2000 and 2001. Murray State has had the highest RPI finish this decade at #58 in 2004, which was also the last year the league had two teams finish in the top 100 (Austin Peay #94). Enough with the RPI, here are some quick hits from the past couple weeks in the OVC.
- We start with Morehead State. It looked like the Eagles were in for a long year after an 0-6 start. But maybe we were too quick to judge. Donnie Tyndell’s bunch has run off three straight wins, including two over the league’s pre-season favorites, Murray State and UT Martin. The win over the Racers snapped an 11-game losing streak to Murray. We knew Morehead had two proven players in Leon Buchanan and Kenneth Faried (27 points, 24 rebounds vs. FAMU 11/22), but the emergence of Demonte Harper has been a pleasant surprise. He averaged over 21 points per game in the two wins over Murray and UTM giving the Eagles another weapon. His efforts were awarded by the OVC as he was named Co-Player of the Week. Morehead has an intriguing game on Sunday at Illinois State. The Redbirds are 8-0 and are a favorite in the always tough Missouri Valley. We’ll see if the Eagles can hang with the MVC’s best on the road.
- No surprise, Austin Peay is off to a 2-0 start in the OVC. The defending champs won at SEMO and at Eastern Illinois. Honestly, they should have. SEMO and EIU are two of the league’s worst teams. But we’re trying to stay positive here. The Govs all-everything forward Drake Reed is firing on all cylinders. He torched EIU for an OVC-high 37 points in their win last Saturday. He was named Co-OVC Player of the Week after averaging over 25 points per game in the two wins. It’s the second time in three weeks he’s won the award. Peay has a couple of big out-of-conference games coming up at Louisville and at Arkansas in the next two weeks.
- Murray State failed to pull the “Death Valley” sweep for the third straight time under Billy Kennedy. But instead of stumbling at EKU, the Racers fell at Morehead State. Not only did the Racers lose the game, they lost point guard Jewuan Long for the season with a torn ACL. Long’s offensive numbers might not seem like much (4.3 points, 1.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists per game) but he will be sorely missed on defense. He was considered one of the Racers best defenders on a team that ranked #1 in defense in the OVC. On a more positive note, it looks like Isaac Miles (Creighton transfer) is starting to regain his scoring touch. He tallied 12 and 17 points during the Death Valley trip. Miles has the potential to really have a big year if he plays like he did his freshman year at Creighton when he took the Blue Jays to the NCAA Tournament as their starting point guard. Murray State has five big games before returning to OVC play. They’ll head to Mizzou on Saturday and then it’s a trip to Puerto Rico where they’ll get South Florida, Wright State and Oral Roberts before facing Niagra on a neutral floor at a holiday classic in Chattanooga.
- UT Martin maybe had the most disappointing opening weekend. The Skyhawks have now lost four in a row to fall to 2-5. All-American Lester Hudson is getting his, putting in at least 20 points in all seven games. The problem is, the rest of the team is really struggling to score. Marquis Weddle is the only other player averaging in double-figures (14.9 ppg), but he’s shooting just 32% from the floor. The Skyhawks need to find some better balance if they’re going to dig themselves out of their 0-2 start in league play. The Skyhawks play their only home game this month with Brescia next week. Road games at Middle Tennessee, Central Arkansas and a tournament at Florida International with the Panthers and Fordham end the calendar year for UTM. Then it’s time to “Cowboy Up.” 2009 kicks off with home games against Murray State and Austin Peay. Two big chances to prove they are ready to compete for a league crown.
- Without question, the biggest and most pleasant surprise so far in the OVC season is Jacksonville State. What a job by first-year head coach James Green. Last time we told you about their big win at UMass. Well, they’ve followed that up with a pounding of VMI 95-67 (yes, the same VMI team that won at Rupp Arena over UK.) Throw on a road win at Tennessee Tech (never an easy place to win) to start OVC play and you’ve got a 6-1 Gamecock team ranked in the RPI’s top 70. The start is tied for the best since the team made the transition to Division One. Jax State will get two more big road tests next week at UAB and Iowa State. What a big boost it would be to not only JSU, but to the OVC, if the Gamecocks could steal a pair of wins in those two games.
Here’s a look at some big games coming up in the next couple weeks in the OVC:
- Austin Peay at #9 Louisville (12/13)
- Murray State at Missouri (12/13)
- Eastern Kentucky at Ball State (12/13)
- Morehead State at Illinois State (12/14)
- Tennessee Tech at Florida State (12/16)
- Austin Peay at Arkansas (12/17)
- Jacksonville State at UAB (12/17)
- Tennessee Tech at Vanderbilt (12/20)
- Murray State vs. South Florida, Wright State & Oral Roberts (12/20-22)
- Eastern Kentucky at Cincinnati (12/20)
- Jacksonville State at Iowa State (12/20)
- Tennessee State at Kentucky (12/22)
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Round two of the state playoffs cut the hopes of a state title coming back to west Kentucky in half.
Down goes Lone Oak, Trigg County and Ballard Memorial.
Still alive and kicking are Calloway County, Crittenden County and Mayfield.
Some quick observations from tonight:
- HUGE win for Calloway! Congrats to the Lakers! I don't know what's more impressive? The win or the fact that head coach Josh McKeel did not wear a coat tonight?!?!? Completely NUTS!!!! BUT I LOVE IT!!! That is guy I'd battle for any night of the week!!! I haven't been that cold in 10 years. It was brutal tonight. But McKeel is one tough cookie!!! And so is his team. Big night for Tyrell Willis. Good to see the big fella have a nice night. As I said last week, Calloway was going to need a better showing than they put up against Russell Co. to beat Franklin-Simpson. And they got it. If they play like that, a run to the state title game is a strong possibility. Again, congrats to the Lakers....NOW WOULD SOMEONE BUY JOSH MCKEEL A COAT!!!!
- Lone Oak's great season came to a rather abrupt ending tonight. An offense that had scored in bunches all season was slowed down by Allen County-Scottsville. Unfortunately our friends at WBKO in Bowling Green were unable to get us the highlights, so we had no visual proof. But it sounded like the Flash were shut down all night. That's too bad because a Calloway-Lone Oak rematch would have been fun. Either way, Lone Oak had a nice year at 10-2.
- In Class 2A it was heartbreak city for Trigg County. The 'Cats were up 14-0 at the half on Owensboro Cath only to watch the Aces come-from-behind and beat them....again. That's five straight playoff losses to OC. This time might have been the hardest to swallow. Brandon Bridges fumbled in the "Wildcat Formation" with just under 5:00 to go and OC scooped and scored to win the game 28-21. The turning point in this one may have been a few minutes earlier when Trigg forced an Owensboro Catholic punt deep in Aces territory. The OC punter fumbled the snap, thought about running, but then decided to kick. Trigg's defenders went after the punter and were flagged for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct. First down OC. I believe once the punter makes a move like he's going to run, he's free game. Just like any running back. The officials thought differently. So instead of having the ball at the OC 35-yard line with a chance to go down and score the game-winner....Trigg's defense went back out on the field and eventually watched as the OC defense scored the game-winner. Ugh. Good season by Trigg though. Tough way to end it for the seniors.
- Murray was flat-out overmatched at Fort Campbell. But then again, just about every team is overmatched going against the Falcons. Mark my words, Fort Campbell will beat Owensboro Catholic by at least three touchdowns! They're that good. Murray may have lost, but it's not hard to see Steve Duncan has that program headed in the right direction after just one season.
- In Class 1A, Crittenden County just flat out whipped Ballard tonight. Rodney Robertson was a beast....six touchdowns! The Rockets will get another crack at Mayfield (more on them in a moment.) Crittenden started the season fast, saw Robertson get hurt vs. Lone Oak and slowed down a bit. But since Robertson has returned and is heathly, the Rockets have looked really good. Let's not take anything away from what Ballard accomplished this year. 6-6 is fantastic considering where this program was the past five years. Chris Cooper certainly has things going in the right direction.
- Crittenden will get another home playoff courtesy of Mayfield's upset of Louisville Holy Cross. The much-maligned Cards came together after a long bus ride and simply out played HC. The defense stuffed the much bigger HC offense and held them to just seven points. Great win for Joe Morris who has had some long bus rides end with a loss. Not this time! Big win for the Cards. Sets up a great showdown next Friday at Crittenden. Rockets beat them for the first time ever earlier this year. Can they do it twice in one season? We'll have to wait and see.
As always....comments, opinions, etc. are welcomed below!
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So the first round of the KHSAA playoffs is in the books. Not a lot of surprises. Here's my take: - I'll start in Class 1A. A big CONGRATS goes out to Chris Cooper and Ballard. I felt the Bombers had a chance to win at Caverna. I did not think they'd go over and take Caverna to the woodshed. 48-14!!! Way to go Big Green!!! Your reward. A trip to Crittenden County next week. The Rockets rolled up an easy 47-0 win over Kentucky Country Day. No shocker there. Mayfield also moved on with a 44-13 win over Bethlehem. Not sure what to make of this, mainly because I'm not sure what to make of Mayfield. The Cards have been two-faced all year. If the "good" Cards show up next week at Holy Cross, we might see a Big Red upset. Holy Cross was supposed to roll over Fulton City. They did win 35-14, but it was only 14-7 at the half. A big pat on the back to the City for hangin' tough in a tough situation. A long bus ride and a banged up team didn't stop the 'Dogs from giving HC a fight to the finish. Well done.
- Class 2A played out as we expected. Murray and Trigg both won easily, both move on. Caldwell and Owensboro Cath was arguably the best game in the state in round one. It was close, but the Aces eliminated the Tigers 20-12. That sets up what is becoming a playoff tradition; OC and Trigg in the playoffs. It seems these two play every year in the postseason. Trigg at least gets this year's battle at home. I like the 'Cats in that one. Murray's reward for beating Hancock County 28-18 is a trip to Fort Campbell. Think the Falcons are for real? How about 71-14 over Heath. Murray will have their hands full next Friday.
- In Class 4A, everything is still on track for a Lone Oak-Calloway rematch in the state quarterfinals. That is if both can survive round two. That will be no easy task. Calloway got all they wanted from Russell County tonight. The Lakers (of CC) were tied 13-13 at the half. They did wake up in the second half to shut down Russell's offense and tally a trio of touchdowns to win 34-13. But they'll need a much, much, much better effort if they want to win next Friday. (They'll also need a much, much, much better effort from the Laker Nation. Seriously, there must have been only about 200 fans in the CC stands. Very disappointing for a team that has hopes of a state title. It wasn't raining that hard!!!) They'll get Franklin-Simpson in the second round. A F-S team that dismantled Hopkins Central 38-9 tonight. The end of line is round two if the Lakers don't find a consistent offense and defense. They hit a big time lull tonight in the second quarter. Too many holding calls and just uninspired effort on both sides of the ball. It's the playoffs. They need to be more crisp if they want to beat a very good Franklin-Simpson team. They were crisp in the second half tonight, but they'll need two halves like that to beat F-S. Lone Oak on the other hand. Consider yourselves fortunate tonight. You got out of Dodge with a hard-fought 31-24 win. I can only say, what would have happened if Jamarielle Brown doesn't come up with that pick six to end the half? That play really changed the tone of this game and not only got LO a touchdown, it swung momentum to their side in a big way. Although, you have to take your hat off to the Flash defense. They did allow just one touchdown in the second half. They'll need to show up with their "A" game next Friday at Allen County-Scottsville. Granted, it is Muhlenberg North, but the Patriots hung a 63-28 win on them tonight. If we're going to see Flash-Lakers II, better efforts are going to be needed for both in round two.
- In Class 6A, Graves County saw their season end with a 59-3 loss at Trinity. No shame in that. Trinity is one of the best teams in not just Kentucky, but in America.
- In Tennessee, Westview and Union City both lost heartbreaking 17-14 games. Sounded like both were great games and it was plays in the final moments that decided each. Still, hats off to Don Coady for getting the Chargers back to the playoffs despite a rash of injuries this year. And congrats to Darren Bowling on a very successful debut season at UC. He looks like he has the Twisters back to being a powerhouse in Class 1A.
- In Illinois, DuQuoin is the only local still playing. The Indians dismantled a very good Carterville team last Saturday. Tomorrow it will get tougher. Carterville was good. St. Teresa is great. St. T crushed Anna-Jonesboro last weekend. The same A-J team DuQuoin had to come-from-behind to beat earlier this season. Good thing for the Indians, the game is at DuQuoin, which gives them a fighting chance.
As always, the floor is yours. We had some really great spirited debate last week. Let's keep it up. It's playoff time!!!! Time to bring your "A" game!!! Comment below!!!
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Playoff time is officially here for all!!! Kentucky put the wraps on the
regular season tonight and we have 11 local teams that will play for a state
title in the commonwealth.
The question is, how many of those 11 have
realistic hopes of bringing home a state title?
Let's start in Class
1A:
- Crittenden County and Mayfield should both take care of business in round
one with home games. It will be hard for the Cards to move past round two.
They'll have to travel east to face, most likely, Louisville Holy Cross in the
second round. Unless Mayfield finds a way to overcome adversity without
folding, the Cards will most likely be done in round two. The Rockets have a
great chance to move into the state quarterfinals. They should dispatch either
Ballard or Caverna in round two. That would put the Rockets in the quarters
with probably Holy Cross. That won't be easy, especially on the road.
- Can Ballard Memorial pull a road upset? Five wins (assuming they beat
Muhlenberg North) is a huge accomplishment for Chris Cooper and his gang this
year. If they can win at Caverna (a winnable game) that would be an even bigger
accomplishment. I think it could happen, but it will be a giant challenge with
such a long bus ride.
- Fulton City, unfortunately, has no chance of winning at Holy Cross. With
Aaron Wilson banged up and possibly out with high ankle sprain so he can get
healthy for basketball, the Bulldogs are a shell of their original offense.
Last season was a memorable one for FC. This year, not so much.
Class 2A:
- Trigg County, Caldwell County and Murray will all win their first round
games. Yes, Trigg and Murray are at home, but I think Caldwell is talented
enough to go to Owensboro Catholic and beat the Aces. After that, it gets much
tougher. Trigg and Caldwell will meet in a rematch of a game Trigg won earlier
this year. I think the 'Cats have too much for the Tigers, so I see the 'Cats
moving into the quarters. Murray will have a behemoth challenge in round two.
The Tigers will go to #1 Fort Campbell. I don't know if they have enough to
topple the defending state champs. If this is how things play out, Trigg and
the Fort will have a rematch in the state quarterfinals. FC knocked off Trigg
28-9 two weeks ago. Like Murray, I'm not sure if the 'Cats have enough to upset
Fort Campbell.
Class 4A:
- Calloway will have no problem in round one. It's round two where things
could get really interesting. The Lakers would face (probably)
Franklin-Simpson. The same Franklin-Simpson team that upset 9-0 and #1 (Class
2A) ranked Fort Campbell 17-7 tonight. They held the high-powered Falcons to
just seven points?!?!? That's impressive! Especially seeing how FC was playing
for a perfect 10-0 regular season. With that kind of defensive effort against
the Lakers, Franklin-Simpson could upset Calloway in round two. The Lakers will
need to be on top of their game if they want to move on to the state
quarterfinals. But then again, this is all assuming Franklin-Simpson can take
care of a pretty good Hopkins Central team in the first round. If not, Calloway
would have their hands full with the Storm in round two. Either way, round two
will not be a sure thing for the Laker Nation.
- Lone Oak will also have their hands full in the playoffs and it starts in
round one. A home game with Warren East. Yes, the same Warren East team the
Flash narrowly defeated on their way to the state title game last year. Warren
East hasn't had the best of regular seasons, but they were banged up early in
the season. Their wounds are now healed and they will certainly come to Flash
Field with revenge on their minds. LO better be on upset alert in round one.
If they survive, then it's a trip to Allen County. That game might actually be
easier than a game with Warren East. But then again, a road game is a road game
and those are never easy, especially in the playoffs. If the Flash want to
prove they are a rising program, a trip to the quarterfinals is really a must.
If not, it kind of makes last year look like a flash in the pan. No pun
intended (okay, there was...you got me.)
- So a local team from Class 4A in the state quarterfinals doesn't look like a
guarantee. I'm not ruling it out, but I just think it will be tougher for our
local teams to move that far in this classification than in the
others.
Class 6A
- Louisville Trinity can name their score against Graves. The end. It's
nothing against the Eagles, but this is like asking Murray State lineup with the
New York Giants. It's just not going to happen. Last year, Marshall County had
one of their best teams ever and they were pasted at home against St. X. And
that was in the state quarterfinals. Sorry Graves.
So with that being said, my quick synopsis. Crittenden and Trigg, in my
opinion, will be the two teams with the best chance to play on Thanksgiving
weekend. I don't think either will advance past that. Lone Oak and Calloway
have good chances to join them post-Turkey day, but they'll have to bring their
"A" game the next two weeks.
In Tennessee....
- Union City continues to ROLL!!! Golden Tornadoes ripped Halls 55-0 in round
one. Next up, a match-up with McKenzie. Union City handed McKenzie their only
loss of the season and you know the Rebels would love to get a little revenge
next week. Good think for UC, the game is at home where they are tough. Either
way, this should be a fun second round showdown.
- Congrats to Don Coady, Westview head coach, on career win #150. It gives
his Chargers another shot at Milan in round two. Last year Milan ended the
Chargers hope of a 10-0 regular season by beating them in the regular season
finale. They ended Westview's hopes of a region title this year by beating them
45-14 last week. It will be a whale of a challenge for Westview to go Milan and
win next Friday night.
And in Illinois...
- We started with nine and we're down to six local teams still alive. A very
impressive showing in round one only leaves us with even more exciting match-ups
for tomorrow. The most intriguing to me; Duquoin at Carterville. The Lions
haven't really been tested all year and Duquoin is as talented as they come.
It's at Carterville, but the Lions better pull up their bootstraps for this
one.
- Massac has the daunting task of going to #1 seed, Breese Mater Dei. Sounds
almost impossible, but considering Mater Dei allowed 42 points in their win
against Freeburg....the same Freeburg team Massac beat last week....maybe the
Pats have a chance. Their offense can light it up. We'll see if they can out
slug the Knights.
We'll have scores and highlights from all the Illinois games tomorrow night
on-air and online. So keep it with Local 6 for all your playoff
coverage.
As always, the floor is yours!!! Playoff predictions, here we
go!!!
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As always, an active night on Gridiron Glory. Here are some of the highlights (or low-lights) from the evening. - Paducah Tilghman is not going to the playoffs. Let that sink in. The Blue Tornado, a year after missing the state finals by a field goal, are out of the postseason. Assuming the KHSAA takes away their win over Webster County (because of an ineligible player) Tilghman will be 1-8 and 1-3 in the district. They would lose out on a tiebreaker against Webster for the final playoff spot. Unbelievable for a team that was supposed to have a cake walk to the state semifinals every year in Class 3A with the new alignments. The lowpoint was tonight in a 27-14 loss to Muhlenberg South. A very tough first year for Randy Wyatt ends next Friday against Heath. Even with a win, the Tornado will finish 2-8, which will be the worst record in school history since going 0-2 in 1918. Ouch.
- Congrats to Calloway. The Lakers backed up all the talk. They went to #7 Hopkins Central and came away with a come-from-behind 28-21 win over the Storm. And thanks to the tiebreaker, the Lakers will be the #1 seed in the playoffs. Nice win.
- Congrats to Trigg County. Wildcats win third straight district title. First time they've done that in school history. Another impressive performance tonight against Caldwell County. I think of all the teams in our west Kentucky coverage area, Trigg may have the best chance to make a deep run in the postseason.
- Congrats as well to Carterville. Another 9-0 regular season. They did it in style by shutting out West Frankfort. The Lions will find out their playoff fate tomorrow night. This is a team that is built for a deep playoff run. Tons of weapons on offense and an amazing defense.
- Marion wins the award for most dramatic entrance into the playoffs. The Wildcats, at 5-3, needed to win a sixth game to guarantee a spot in the postseason. They came up with a goal line stand with 1:15 left to beat Herrin 21-14. Kerry Martin has the 'Cats back in the playoffs after making to the semifinals last year.
- A handful of teams will have to sweat it out until the IHSA announces to the playoff pairings tomorrow night. Most notably CZR and Harrisburg, who both have five wins.
- Westview is back in the playoffs after a 9-7 win over Humboldt in a slugfest. They had to win this game. A loss would have meant they would have had to beat 9-0 Milan next Friday to get into the postseason. Chargers can rest easy after tonight.
- Unfortunately, South Fulton's amazing season looks like it could end without a trip to the playoffs. The Red Devils suffered a big blow to their hopes with a 36-6 loss to Gleason tonight. They will need a win next week over McKenzie and some help to get into the playoffs. Actually, there's a chance five teams could finish in Region 7-1A at 4-3 and only three of those teams would get in. Don't ask me to figure that tiebreaker. Let's hope we don't have to. Either way, it's been an amazing turnaround with Kelly Spivey on the sidelines this year.
- Union City is back in the playoffs and are looking like a serious contender in Class 1A. A 55-16 drubbing of West Carroll tonight. Watch out for Darren Bowling's kids come November.
That'll do it. As always, let's hear what you have to say!!!
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It was a pretty ho-hum schedule of games this Friday, but there were some high points and certainly some low points. I present my observations.
- I have to get this off my chest (along with this miserable flu...I hate being sick!!!) Anyhow, I have to question Tilghman's Randy Wyatt's choice to go for a two-point conversion down 21-12 to Mayfield in the fourth quarter. Albeit, it didn't have any bearing on the outcome, but with the Tornado driving late, it had to be frustrating knowing they were driving simply to cut the game to one rather than tie it. Down nine with a chance to kick the extra point and cut it to eight, to me, is the sensible choice. I don't understand that decision. Either way, congrats to Mayfield for winning the rivalry game with the Tornado.
- Lone Oak and Calloway showed no real letdown after their thriller last Friday. The Flash hung 68 on overmatched Todd Central. Calloway rolled past Muhlenberg North 42-21 for a district win.
- I had the chance to check out Carterville in person tonight. Wow. It's like watching a video game. They can do whatever they want whenever they want. Next week they should wrap up the BDC title with a win over Fairfield. I just hope the non-challenging schedule doesn't hurt them when it comes to being prepared for the postseason.
- Anna-Jonesboro and DuQuoin continued their collision course for the SIRR Mississippi title. They'll meet next week, both undefeated in the division.
- Herrin derailed Massac's outright SIRR Ohio Division title hopes, for the most part. The Tigers win gives the Patriots their first loss and with Harrisburg winning, the Bulldogs have the inside track at winning the league outright. They still have to beat Massac in two weeks to pull it off.
- Congrats to South Fulton for a stunning come-from-behind 22-16 double-overtime win over Greenfield to remain undefeated at 6-0. Should be a lot of fun next week when they meet 5-1 Union City.
That'll do it.
As I said, a slow week of games.
Feel free to chime in with your thoughts below!
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It's 12:54 am, so I'm going to make this short and sweet and leave the floor open for you. - Lone Oak and Calloway. WOW!!! What a game. I'm still shaking my head wondering why Calloway didn't just grind it out and take the field goal and get out of dodge with the win. Regardless, what a gutsy drive by Jamarielle Brown and that offense to give Jack Coorts another shot at the win (he had already missed a 33-yarder.) Honestly, after kicking them into the state title game last year and that kick last night, Coorts could run for mayor of Lone Oak and win....as a high school sophomore.
- Crittenden County. Double WOW!!! First win ever against Mayfield. Congrats to the Rockets. They're now in the driver's seat for the district title.
- Paducah Tilghman. Double UGH!!! An awful loss at home in overtime to Union County. There is no way the Tornado should have lost this game. A very tough loss for Randy Wyatt and company.
- I finally got a chance to see Graves in person this week. I was impressed. Their running game is top notch. Their defense will smack you in the mouth. The only weakness is their offense. It's not setup for them to come-from-behind. If they hold a lead and can pound away at you, they are dangerous. Even though they lost to Daviess County, I still came away impressed.
- Big win for Marshall County on the road at Apollo.
- South Fulton is 5-0. Congrats! Pretty impressive seeing how they won just five games the last three years.
- Carterville, A-J and Duquoin all continued to roll in Southern Illinois.
- Harrisburg beat West Frankfort. I have to give a "hats-off" to the Bulldogs for not just that win, but last Saturday's amazing performance where they allowed just one second half possession to Herrin in that 7-0 upset. I've never seen that in my entire football watching life. One second half possession?!?!?
Okay, the floor is yours. Anxious to get your thoughts on a great night!!!!
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Week four is in the books and I'm feeling the ill-effects. I'm not saying the
games were bad, but the weather is kicking my....well, you can guess. So I'm
going to make this quick.
- Graves County 4-0. Enough said. They continue to impress. Mayfield jumped
out 12-0, but the Eagles ran off 29 unanswered to win. Congrats to the Eagles
on beating their rivals in their house!
- Marshall County gets a nice bounce back win over Calloway County. Marshals
offense looked like a well-oiled machine against the Lakers. Hard to really
judge this game, though. Was Calloway holding back with Lone Oak coming up next
week? Either way, Lakers-Flash should be fantastic fun!
- Big win for Union City. Golden Tornadoes stick it to #5 McKenzie, a team
that had allowed just three points in their first three wins. Congrats to
Darren Bowling. He seems to have UC back on track.
- South Fulton goes to 4-0. A big congrats to Kelly Spivey. Impressive to go
on the road and handle Bruceton 32-7.
- Westview gets a nice revenge win on the road at Peabody, 28-0. This was the
same Peabody team that knocked the Chargers out of the playoffs in the first
round last year.
- While we're handing out congrats, a big one to Ballard Memorial and head
coach Chris Cooper. After that heartbreaker last week against Mayfield, the
Bombers came out focused and easily rolled over Fulton County 52-7 for Cooper's
first career win. It's a win that most likely will land Ballard in the
playoffs.
- Trigg County finally got the monkey off their back. After a brutal
Hoptown-Calloway-Hopkins Central schedule to start the season, the 'Cats finally
get their first win. A convincing 17-6 "W" over Murray. If there was a
negative it was the penalties. A lot of unsportsmanlike (and an ejection.)
That's something that Shannon Burcham is going to have to get under control as
the Wildcats get deeper into the district schedule. But this win still proves
the 1st district title in Class 2A still rolls through Cadiz.
- Carterville scored nine touchdowns on their first 11 offensive plays in a
72-0 rout of Elverado. Ridiculous! Lions are 4-0 and it doesn't look like
anyone will touch them in the regular season.
- Banged up Crittenden County exploited a weak Fulton City defense in a 44-13
win. Rockets might still have something to say in that 1A 1st district race
even with Rodney Robertson out.
- Anna-Jonesboro continues to roll. 25 in-a-row in the regular season for
Brett Detering. That game with DuQuoin is looming large.
That'll do it
for tonight. Share your thoughts below. I've got a date with some Nyquil!
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Let's get a few things straight on this whole Matt Griffin-saga.
Was Matt out of line Saturday night when he publicly blasted the officiating in the Illinois State loss. No doubt, yes! But did he have a point? Without question! I agree with the OVC's decision to suspend Griffin. The league has rules and Griffin broke them with his mini-tirade. He deserved to be punished.
But this requires a deeper look. Were Griffin's comments warranted? I believe so. I like to take Matt as his word, and if what he said about an official coming back at him with a "well, your guy's been offsides all night" response, then that is flat-out ridiculous.
That official just painted himself into a corner, admitting that he's not only was incompetent on that play, but he's been incompetent all night.
I was not at the game, but I have been to many OVC games throughout my tenure here. Officiating is a problem. It's inconsistent and it's something that needs to be addressed.
With that being said, I spoke with OVC commissioner John Steinbrecher about the situation this afternoon via telephone.
Mr. Steinbrecher, as always, was very helpful and quick to answer any and all of our questions.
This is part of the statement issued by the OVC when they suspended Griffin:
- "The OVC has in place a program that provides ample opportunity for feedback and criticism. In this case, Matt did not work within our system."
I asked Steinbrecher if Griffin had since followed the system in place to file a formal complaint. He said he has. He told me Griffin had spoke to the league's coordinator of officials, Jim Jackson and had supplied the league with tape of the calls he had questioned.
Steinbrecher said that Jackson would review the tape immediately and have a response to Griffin, probably within 24 hours.
He said that Jackson actually watches tape of every game and then speaks individually with each official to evaluate them, good and bad.
Steinbrecher did say, though, those evaluations are kept private. It's not like the NFL, where they acknowledge a blown call and apologize publicly.
The OVC will acknowledge their mistake, but apparently to the coaches only.
When asked if any other coaches this year had filed complaints about officiating, Steinbrecher said there's been very little feedback.
As far as reprimands for bad officiating, Steinbrecher said they normally review each official on a game-by-game basis and it's a year-long process. He said that at the end of the season, the league sits down to review each official and decide if they'll have them return for the following season.
I asked him if punishing an official mid-season has ever happened, he said no, but didn't rule it out.
As far as the Murray State-Illinois State game itself, Steinbrecher acknowledged being at the game along with Jim Jackson. He admitted there may have been some calls that could be questioned, but said they did not affect the outcome of the game.
When asked his thought on the overall state of officiating in the league, Steinbrecher said he likes where it's going. He said the league is doing a marvelous job building accountability for all their officials. He said he believes the coaches are comfortable with the communication they have with the league concerning the officiating.
But he also added that officiating is much like politics. Republicans will always debate with Democrats and fans/coaches will always debate officiating.
That's hard to argue. Officials are human and mistakes are made. I just hope, for coaches like Matt Griffin, that these mistakes are kept to a minimal. If not, the OVC needs to get referees in there that can get the job done.
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Our third week of Gridiron Glory is in the books and with it came another night of surprises.
Here's a quick rundown of thoughts I had after another night of great action.
- What happened to Lone Oak? The hit the snooze button to start the third quarter against Obion! Up 35-0, the Flash allowed the Rebels to score 28 straight points in about six minutes. A combination of turnovers, sloppy tackling and bad special teams made a sure-to-be blowout turn into a shootout. If Lone Oak is to topple Calloway County in two weeks, the Flash need to be a lot more focused. Lapses like that will only help the Lakers.
- Speaking of Calloway, I didn't see the Lakers tonight be I must admit, a 28-6 final score over Crittenden caught me off guard. Calloway was at home and Crittenden was without their best player (Rodney Robertson.) I expected that Laker offense to at least match the 54-point outburst Lone Oak had against the same Rocket team the previous week. Calloway will be tested by Marshall County next week. After that, it's the showdown we've been waiting for since last November. The district opener at Lone Oak. Right now I'm torn on picking a winner.
- I can't say it enough. I'm stunned by Graves County. 2-0 was amazing enough, but 3-0?!?!? WOW!!! Congrats to the Eagles! A very impressive win tonight against Marshall. I was sure A) if the Eagles could score enough to win (they scored 28 points) or B) if they could slow the Marshals, who had been averaging 48 points per game (they only scored 19 against the GCHS defense.) Wins like this have the Eagles poised for a return to the playoffs....and no one is more stunned than I am. I am certainly a believer now!!!
- Anna-Jonesboro. They're good. Enough said. Each week they continue to impress. This week they built up a huge lead before letting up a few touchdowns in garbage time to Massac County in Metropolis. I wasn't sure a third straight 9-0 season was possible with the inexperience, but now I think it's certainly a possibility. That showdown with DuQuoin in October looms large.
- Speaking of the Indians, another heartbreaker against Herrin. For the second straight year, the Tigers pulled out a big win over DuQuoin, 34-33 in overtime. Jason Karnes has the Tigers 3-0. Looking at the rest of their schedule, I can certainly see the Tigers going 9-0.
- In Tennessee, Henry County was VERY impressive. This Teague kid they have at quarterback was sensational. He led their offense to five touchdowns in nine plays to start the game. That's impressive. But Westview has nothing to hang their heads about. The Chargers (#10 in Class 2A) were beat by a team that should very well challenge for the Class 4A state title.
- Congrats to Randy Wyatt for picking up his first win as head coach at Paducah Tilghman. And a big good luck next week against #1 ranked Fort Campbell.
- Finally, I have to throw a big congrats to Mayfield and a even bigger "hang-in-there" to the Bombers of Ballard Memorial. It looked like it was finally going to happen. Ballard led Mayfield 38-21 in the fourth quarter only to see the Cardinals rally and win 42-38. This would have been, arguably, the biggest win in Ballard school history. Never have they beat Mayfield and they were thisclose. A tremendous effort from Chris Cooper and company. Give that effort next week, and a win over Fulton County should be in the cards. Sorry. Didn't mean to use the "C" word again.
Okay, time for your thoughts on another entertaining night!!
Comment below!!
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Another edition of Gridiron Glory is in the books and boy were there some surprises tonight. Here's a quick rundown on some of the highlights from Friday night.
- South Fulton upsets Fulton City 36-30. The Red Devils pass their first big test of the season and outscore the high-powered Bulldogs. Could the playoffs be on the horizon for SFHS? And the big question about Fulton City, can that defense hold up? That's 36 points to South Fulton and 26 to a weak West Carroll team last week.
- Graves County goes to #4 Tilghman and simply spanks the Blue Tornado. Congrats to Mike Rogers and the Eagles. I admit, I never thought in my wildest dreams that GCHS would be 2-0 to start. What a win! And what a "Cellpage Call To The Coach" The Eagles were quite excited in the background!!!
- Marshall County may have lost to Hoptown, but they scored 37 points against a pretty good Tiger team. Maybe the demise of Marshall and Graves has been slightly exaggerated. I'm really looking forward to their showdown next week!
- I was at the Lone Oak vs. Crittenden game tonight and both teams looked pretty good. Despite a 54-13 loss, the Rockets are a solid football team. Problem tonight was, they're a solid Class A team going up against a 4A powerhouse. Rockets should be a contender in the first district. The only concern is just how injured is star running back Rodney Robertson? With him, CCHS is dangerous. Lone Oak was, well, Lone Oak. My first look at Jamarielle Brown at QB was not a disappointment. He looked good running and I was really impressed with his arm. Lots of tight spirals that were on the nose. Another night of putting up monster numbers!
- Anna-Jonesboro has won 23 straight regular season games. Wow!!! They're showdown with DuQuoin will be a dandy and will decide the SIRR Mississippi Division.
- I think Carterville can win the Black Diamond with ease. I thought Johnston City might challenge them after shutting out Carmi last week, but the Indians were beat tonight by CZR. Carterville rolled CMC 40-6. Lions are good!
- Calloway and Trigg seemed to be a tremendous game. I hear the Lakers win 35-28 on a late score.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on another great Friday night of high school football!!!
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