Pennyrile Pick and Roll

Warren Central 55 - Greenwood 54

2010-01-23T07:39:00.003-06:00

Greenwood High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

The Fourth Region's 14th District is loaded with three good teams and is the basketball equivalent to a heavy loaded shotgun. When the triggered is pulled it's going to roar with a bang and have the potential of knocking someone on their butt.

Every game is important in this district, and nearly every game is a marquee matchup. So, when Tim Riley and his Warren Central Dragons rolled over to Gator Alley at Greenwood on Friday night, everyone knew it would be a intense, high energy affair. At the beginning of the season I would have thought that the toughest thing for the Dragons in this matchup would've been to get their bus down Scottsville Road, but I've changed my thinking. Well, the Gators have changed my thinking.

These two teams did not disappoint on Friday night.

It was a battle from the beginning. Warren Central started out trying to pound the ball into George Fant, the 6'6" blue chip college recruit who patrols the paint for the Dragons. Greenwood was determined to make Fant kick the ball back out to his guards and forwards, so they swarmed him when he got the ball. The Dragons are a very good basketball team and always show a lot of poise, so they handled Greenwood's half court pressure.

Warren Central made a couple of small runs, but Greenwood always had the answer and came back on them.

Jordan Shanklin made a beautiful play in the first half. He had the ball on the right side of the court and made a looping move to the baseline and drove to the basket. He went behind the backboard and made a reverse layup with his left hand. I told the gentleman sitting next to me that it he looked like Julius Erving. No one will take that wrong, but I must explain that I have just bestowed one of the best compliments I can give to a basketball player by comparing a move to "Dr. J," who is my favorite all time player. I saw him play when I used to go to ABA games in Louisville. To me, he was the greatest player to ever play the game and the most electrifying.

Central led 14-12 at the end of the first quarter and was able to pull away a little bit in the second. They had a 29-23 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter the Dragons looked like they were going to seal the deal and put pesky Greenwood away. However, Greenwood has a lethal trio of players that are nearly too much for any team to handle. The trio is led by the ball handling skills of Lane Embry, who has fantastic instincts as a point guard. The other member is Austin "Theme Park" Disney, who has a deadly shot when he's open and equally deadly when he is being guarded. The final member is Dee Anderson. I don't know if I have to go on about Anderson very much since I gush about him after every Greenwood game I see. Blah, blah, blah. I've said it all before: Anderson is a great slasher. Anderson is the best player in the region. Anderson should be a Division I college prospect. Yep, I've said it, and I mean it, too.

Anderson finished the night with 26 points, and he didn't back down from Fant's presence in the lane. He took it to him and got the better of the big man on several occassions.

Greenwood outplayed Warren Central in the fourth quarter, outscoring them 19-12. Disney hit some big shots, and, of course, Dee Anderson worked wonders with drives into the paint. Dare I say it? He reminded me of Julius Erving. Hot dang! I've made two Dr. J. comparisons in one game. I'm not qualified to hand out the PhD's in basketball, but I'm doing it for this game.

Warren Central's Shamarcus Wells kept the Dragons in the game. When Greenwood swarmed Fant, Wells got positioned himself low in the lane and got the ball and laid it in with beautiful little one step layups. He went up quick and strong. Wells is one of several players in the Fourth Region not getting the attention they deserve. Heck, I'm guilty of it myself. He's athletic, quick, and absolutely can jump through the roof. He finished Friday's game with 12 points, all of them big.

Late in the game, the Dragons had a 55-48 lead. Greenwood came at them in a late rally, something that is sort of a signature with Blane Embry's teams. Jordan Shanklin traveled with seven seconds left in the game, and Greenwood had an opportunity to win the game. Daniel Turner in-bounded the ball to Disney, but Central pressured "Theme Park" into a turnover.

The Dragons emerge from the swamp with a 55-54 win.

Warren Central is now in the catbird seat in the 14th District. I know Bowling Green has the best record, but the way things play out the rest of the season gives the advantage to the Dragons. Warren Central has played their games at the Purple Palace and Gator Alley, and split those games. Bowling Green has to play at Greenwood and at Warren Central. Greenwood still has to travel to Warren Central.

The Purples put it on Central's court next Friday (January 29th) in a game that is even bigger than they're game at Bowling Green.

Oh, boy! The prospects of big games over the next month just makes me giddy.

OBSERVATIONS

I've Said It Before: I apologize for this rant. I've written about it before. Greenwood's gym is terrible, the worst in the region. When fans enter, they come in almost right on the court. Then, the people selling tickets are about as welcoming as hornets. Then, if a fan goes up the steps, which are long and high, there's no way to get to the lower seats. I hate that place.

Feldhaus in the House: I saw Willie Feldhaus skulking around the Swamp. I'm sure he was thinking, "This place sucks! Don't they know about lobbies in Bowling Green?" I'm also sure Coach Feldhaus was trying to get a glimpse of Warren Central in preparation for the Fourth Region Tournament in March. I wonder if he remembers me giving him a pizza at the tournament a few years ago?

Toppers Not in the House: Hmm? There was no presence from the WKU coaching staff, which is hot after George Fant. They hang around like groupies. Overtime must've had free appetizers last night, so they sent Hal Schmidt. Had to be the appetizers, right? Hopefully, the Hilltoppers were at Diddle learning that a basketball game last for 40 minutes at the college level, and that you have to play all 40 of them.

Bum Rush: The Warren Central students rushed the court last night. C'mon, guys! Your team is the best in the region and is two years off of a six year run as champion. That was a terrible mistake because Greenwood's players have the image of Central students dancing on their court. That kind of stuff is what makes the Gators tick.

Bowling Green 73- Warren Central 70

2010-01-15T22:29:00.003-06:00

Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

I wrote a lot about this game when I got home on Friday night. I re-read it on Saturday morning and decided I didn't like it.

A teacher in high school once assigned me the task of writing a description of a painting by Monet, and I thought then that it was futile to translate a painting into words. Plus, I was looking at a reprint of the painting. Monet, along with many other artists, put a massive amount of emotion into their painting, and color re-prints of them serve them no justice. They only capture part of the feelings the artist put into the work. Then, I was charged with putting that into words. It was the equivalent of writing a book based on a cinematic masterpiece that is an original screenplay.

Years later, when I was in Washington, D.C., I had the privilege of viewing originals by Claude Monet and many other great painters at the National Gallery of Art. Wow! I didn't have a prayer as a lowly high school student trying to write a description of great painting. The texture and the direction of the brush strokes add a whole new dimension to a masterful painting that cannot be captured by a re-print or the shaky words of a stupid high school boy.

Why have I run out on this tangent? It's a basketball blog, afterall.

Friday night, at the Purple Palace in Bowling Green, this formerly stupid high school boy, who has grown up to be an equally stupid man, saw a masterpiece firsthand. I don't know if what I write here can capture the brush strokes and the emotion that was -- figuratively -- painted on the hardwood canvas of Kentucky's basketball culture.

I knew the game would be good, but I didn't know it would be as good as it was. I didn't want it to end. If they ever build a museum for high school basketball in Kentucky, a perpetual loop of Friday's game between the Dragons and the Purples should be on display, displayed with the same reverence as a piece of art.

Both teams play pedal-to-the-metal basketball. A shot clock would be pointless when these two Fourth Region titans walk out onto the court because they like to run. They like to gun. They both play good defense. They like to win. They aim at championships and not just the one handed out in Diddle Arena in March.

It was the best matchup in the Commonwealth. I scrolled through the KHSAA's website looking for results and didn't see one as exciting as the Purples and the Dragons.

Crosstown rivals: CHECK

Exciting Style: CHECK

College Prospects: CHECK, CHECK, and CHECK

Sweet Sixteen Potential: CHECK and CHECK

Intense Coaching: CHECK, CHECK

Postseason Implications: CHECK

Rabid Fans: CHECK

My family and I got to the game early, knowing that the place would be packed. It does a longtime Kentucky high school basketball fan's heart good to see a packed gymnasium on a Friday night. I was pleased to see that it was literally standing room only in one of the larger gyms in the state. Hundreds of fans lined the catwalks at either end of the Purple Palace to watch this one, and the emotion of the stands ebbed and flowed and shifted and switched just as the action on the court did the same.

The Dragons and the Purples go at one another like caged fighters fighting for their lives. In a way they are. The top seed in the district is coveted and important because the game between the middle seeds will eliminate a good team from the postseason.

Bowling Green opened with a lot of intensity and stretched out a eight or ten point lead on Warren Central. I can't remember. I made no effort to write down any notes because I didn't care too much about the details from this game.

The Dragons, as expected, fought back and tailed the Purples throughout the rest of the contest. Well, Bowling Green did open up a 13 point lead at one point in the second half. That's when George Fant and Jacob King went to work on the Purples. Fant became a beast on the interior with a couple of beautiful lob-to dunks. Warren Central never let Chane Behanan show his abilities because they keyed on him and put him at the foul stripe instead of letting him score from the floor.

In the fourth quarter, Central had the ball out under their own goal. I believe it was Jordan Shanklin who triggered a beautiful alley-oop lob to Fant, who grabbed the ball at its apex with one hand and jammed it through the rim all in one fluid motion. It was a nice play -- big time.

Central definitely keyed on Behanan, but they forgot about D.J. Ray, who is one of the most underrated players in the Fourth Region this season. Ray has got great moves to the basket and does it so smoothly that fans and players don't realize how quickly he is moving. He has a soft touch around the rim and knows how to use the glass to his advantage (a dying art in the sport). Ray pegged 25 points on the Dragons tonight and was the difference in the game. Everyone wants to talk about Behanan and Fant, but Ray played a heroic game tonight and hit some clutch baskets while Warren Central was making their signature late game run at the Purples.

Another unsung hero in this game is Brett Jackson. Jackson is the backup center for the Dragons, and he does a great job on the court because he's a cool headed young man. He made some big plays in the first half and did a good job at defending Behanan.

The Purples held on to win it 73-70.

Bowling Green is in the catbird seat for the top seed in the district, but the Purples still have to play at Greenwood and at Warren Central.

OBSERVATIONS

Band Aid: Someone must've told Bowling Green's band director that there was a football game at the high school because the band showed up. They're a great addition to a great basketball atmosphere.

Toppahs in the House: The Hilltoppers were at the Purple Palace in force last night. The entire coaching staff and I believe all the players were there. I know they're after Fant in a big way, and I'm sure that Behanan is hitting their radar screen, too. Yep! I'd like to see the two local players suiting up for the Hilltoppers. What I'd like more is for Ken McDonald to make note of the style of play he witnessed. It's much more fun to watch teams push the ball up the court instead of walking it up like they're part of a funeral procession.

I've got tickets to WKU's game on Saturday, which is good because I need some sleep. I may stay home and watch video of the Friday's game, much more entertaining.

Stupid Is As Stupid Does: I wonder who was the genius who told the Bowling Green cheerleaders to hold a practice in the main gym immediately following the biggest basketball game in the entire Commonwealth last night. They started unrolling mats and forcing hundreds of people to sides of the court and out the door. Fans from both sides were wanting to talk and visit and recount what they just saw because the game was really something to behold. Sheesh! They could've had their matts already rolled out in the auxiliary gym and hit their practice within seconds of the final buzzer. Here's the dirty secret about cheerleading: Nobody cares! Sure, their parents care. Their coach cares. A few wannabees in the crowd care. Boyfriends pretend to care.

I'm sure I'll catch some flak for that one.

Greenwood 68 - Russellville 63

2010-01-12T22:47:00.002-06:00

Russellville High School, Russellville, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

College basketball has it's Bracket Buster, an ESPN engineered conglomeration that hides behind the cloak of teams that might cause trouble in the post season. If the Fourth Region has Bracket Buster matchups, one of them would be Greenwood and Russellville. These are two teams that might not be on people's postseason radar but should be. They will be. Greenwood has to be after tonight's victory at the Panthers' lair in Russellville.

Greenwood frustrates other teams, and they did that well against Russellville tonight. The Gators are patient on the offensive end, and they lull teams into complacency with each possession. They look for the right moment to strike, and they do it with lightning quick efficiency. That lightning strike usually involves Dee Anderson slashing to the basket in perfect control of himself and laying the ball up on the perfect spot of the backboard for a bucket.

Everybody is talking about Chane Behanan, George Fant, and Jordan Shanklin, but I believe that Dee Anderson is the best player in the Fourth Region. That's saying a lot, too, because the Fourth is loaded this season. If Anderson had a deadly shot from the perimeter, college coaches would bum rush each other to get to a Greenwood game this season.

Tonight, Greenwood opened up a narrow lead in the first quarter. Russellville, which is an athletic basketball team, could not rebound on either end of the court, and they could not get their shots to fall. The Gators put up a nice 2-3 zone on them and still could beat Russellville to the boards.

Greenwood clung to a 17-16 lead at the end of the first quarter. Russellville was down by more than that late in the quarter, but their defensive pressure forced the Gators to cough up the ball on three consecutive possessions.

Russellville outplayed Greenwood in the second quarter. The Panthers made some great passes and worked their way to the basket on the Gators while knocking down a couple of key three pointers. Readers will have to forgive me for not using any of Russellville's players names. I couldn't find a program tonight, and my programs from last season are long lost after living away from my house for most of last season. The J.J. Elam(?) hit some big shots for the Panthers, and they went to halftime with a 34-32 lead.

I've seen Greenwood enough this season to know that they are never out of a game. It doesn't matter if it is on the road or at home, they will not give up on a game. Cody Stumbo took over for the Gators in the third quarter. He hit two three pointers and scored several points in the paint. Austin Disney also hit a couple of nice jump shots. When the Gators can hit from the perimeter, they become a lethal team because it opens things up for Dee Anderson to work his magic in the paint.

Both teams battled hard in the third quarter, and they went to the break tied at 51.

This is the first time I've seen Russellville play this season, and I know that they played a tough game against rival Logan County on Monday night. So, I don't know if it is a season long thing or just one night, but the Panthers had a lot of trouble shooting the ball tonight. The ball just wouldn't drop for them. They even had some good looks at the basket.

Greenwood took control of the game, and Russellville had to play catch-up ball late in the fourth quarter. Blane Embry's teams are very good at making it difficult for teams to take the lead away from them late in a game. Russellville didn't help themselves because they waited a long time before they started fouling Gator players. When they did foul them, Greenwood hit their foul shots. Daniel Turner made some big free throws down the stretch and had one very nice move to the basket that resulted in a lay-in.

Greenwood crawls out of the Panthers' den with a 68-63 win. Oh yeah, the final really should've been 68-60. A Russellville player threw up a last second shot. The ball was still in his hand when the buzzer sounded, but the official counted the bucket, which was a three pointer.

Greenwood runs its record out to 14-4 and 4-3 in the region. They're in second place right behind the Bowling Green Purples. Russellville drops to 10-4 and 3-2 in the Fourth.

OBSERVATIONS

Man of Steel?: George Kennedy has returned to Kentucky. The star of the great movie Steel, which was filmed in Lexington and, I think, features scenes in Rupp Arena, is now playing for the Russellville Panthers. I think that's what the PA guy said.

No Kige in the House: I looked for Kige Ramsey at the game, figuring he'd prime up his camera for another installment of YouTube Sports. Wait! What am I thinking? Kige couldn't pull away from watching the Cats. Hmm. UofK played the Gators and his beloved Panthers also played the Gators. I don't want Blane Embry, D.G. Sherrill, Tim Riley or any other Fourth Region coach stealing plays from Kige.

Finally!: I finally got to hear a pep band tonight. Russellville's band played some Journey, Ozzy Osborne, and even some J. Geils Band. Loved it. Those snooty schools in Warren County should learn from them.

No Roys for the Pick and Roll: I got back from Frankfort too late to catch the bandwagon Greenwood fans I know heading for Roy's Barbecue in Russellville. That will give me an excuse to head back to R-ville for a game.

Bowling Green 56 - Greenwood 53 (OT)

2010-01-09T13:44:00.004-06:00

Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

If Bowling Green Coach D.G. Sherrill changed his phone number, Blane Embry would find it. If he changed his social security number, Coach Embry would know how to work the system to come up with it. If Coach Sherrill changed his cell phone number, Embry could scan the airwaves and latch onto it and pull it from the sky.

You see Blane Embry always has Sherrill's number.

This year's Greenwood Gators seem to defy all basketball logic. They have two scorers -- Dee Anderson and Austin Disney -- but they have two guards who absolutely will not shoot the ball. I've seen them three times this year, and I'm not sure if Lane Embry and Daniel Turner CAN shoot the ball because I never see them take shots. Embry is a great ballhandler and great a cracking the full court press, and Turner can make some impressive spin moves to the basket.

Somehow, the Gators have managed to run out to a 13-4 start this season against some pretty stout competition.

For anyone who has seen the Bowling Green Purples play this season, it's easy to understand why they stand at 15-1 after last night's contest with Greenwood. Chane Behanan has made his presence felt in the Fourth Region and making himself known throughout the Commonwealth. He's gaining the attention of some fine Division I college basketball programs like Cincinnati, West Virginia, and WKU.

A lot of Division I college basketball coaches have D.G. Sherrill's number but in a totally different manner than does Blane Embry.

The Purples are not a one man show, however. Tommy Boyce is a solid point guard and is quick and knows how to use his speed to spider his way through other team's presses. D.J. Ray is a good shooter and has smooth moves to the basket. Mike Geegan and Tyson Halcomb round out a solid starting five. Scooter Hollis will prove to be one of the best athletes in the region by the time he's finished at Bowling Green High, and he is well on his way to proving it this season.

Bowling Green and Greenwood just don't matchup in my mind. Thankfully, they don't play the game on paper. It's played on hardwood, and that is why tough-minded teams like the Gators and crafty coaches like Blane Embry can surprise and scare teams like the Purples.

There's no stupid RPI to psych-out teams in high school. Thank God.

Greenwood and Bowling Green went after each other just the way I'd expect them to last night. The Gators played a high energy defense and a quick but mindful offensive attack in the half court. They stayed with the Purples, but Bowling Green used their athletic ability to pull away from Greenwood, and they went to the lockerroom at halftime with a 30-22 lead. Greenwood played gutsy, but was over-matched at times.

In the third quarter Bowling Green opened up a 15 point lead on the Gators, and I figured the mighty Purples were going to cruise through the rest of the game. Maybe they did to, which is a stupid and dangerous thing to do with a crosstown rival such as Greenwood because I've only seen them give up once. That's when Paducah Tilghman man handled them in the first round of the Sweet Sixteen.

Late in the third quarter the Gators scratched their way back into the contest through patience and the hot shooting of Austin Disney. Also, Lane Embry did a masterful job of cracking Bowling Green's press. At times, the Purples seemed to be trying to hand the game to the Gators through sloppy and careless play.

Fans must remember that both of these teams are young. Dee Anderson is the only senior in the starting five for Greenwood (I hope I'm right about that), and Bowling Green only has three seniors on its entire squad.

Greenwood closed the gap and took the lead in the fourth quarter. Bowling Green looked and acted defeated. The Purples showed a lot of poise, though. They didn't give up. They went toe-to-toe with Greenwood and wrestled the lead back from the big lizards.

It was tied at the end of regulation. Greenwood had a shot at winning it, but Daniel Turner missed a key free throw that would've given the Gators a one point lead with just seven seconds left. Bowling Green couldn't get the ball down the court to get the basket.

The lead changed hands throughout the overtime. Dee Anderson was fouled shooting a three pointer and could've tied the game to send it into another overtime. He missed all three.

There's a certain amount of irony here. I don't have any stats, but Bowling Green must have missed at least 15 free throws throughout the ballgame. Greenwood was pretty good at the line. They missed the foul shots when they really mattered, and Bowling Green's players showed some poise at the stripe late in the game, especially Behanan and Boyce. They're solid late in a game.

Bowling Green took victory and put it in the jaws of defeat and then finally snatched it out of the mouth of the Gators.

OBSERVATIONS

Tied to the Whipping Post: I'm not a coach, and I don't pretend to be. I'm just an interested fan who loves basketball, especially at the high school level. I'm still trying to figure out why Bowling Green didn't post Chane Behanan up on the much smaller lineup of Greenwood. The kid has All American talent and should be able to put someone like Cody Stumbo and Connor Raymer on the school bus and drive them all over the basketball world.

Can This Be True?: Dee Anderson was scoreless in the second half of the game? That's my tally, but I was keeping track of things in my head because in all the bother of suiting up like a danged Inuit to go to the game I figured out that I left pen and paper at home when I hit Rockingham Avenue.

Disney World: The Gators don't have to win the Super Bowl to go to Disney World. They're there every time they take the court. Austin Disney is a solid player. They should call him "Theme Park" or "The Magic Kingdom." Do I dare mention that the offbeat people in Austin, Texas, vow to "Keep Austin Weird"? "I" before "e" except after "c." Isn't THAT weird?

Band on the Run: Kudos to the Bowling Green Band for keeping their record perfect this season. I've yet to see them. I wonder if they know that there are sports other than football. It's really pathetic. It's O.K. I've heard their pep band at basketball games, and they play like and look like they have the enthusiasm of a bunch of banditos being led before a firing squad. The Purples have a great arena, a great girls team, a good boys team, and, yet, no pep band.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed: The top seed in the 14th District seems very small, but it will grow to be very large and important. If the number one seed doesn't play a depleted Warren East squad in the first round, I'll kiss the flagpole in front of the new South Warren High School on the next freezing night after the tournament.

Greenwood 54 - Russell County 51

2010-01-05T22:00:00.005-06:00

Greenwood High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

I made a terrible assumption at the start of the season. I assumed that Greenwood would be down this year and not a contender for the Fourth Region crown. All season I've said that teams like Bowling Green, Warren Central, Russellville, and Franklin-Simpson would control the region and that maybe a team like Glasgow could surprise those teams.

I'm starting to think that Greenwood is a contender. I'm just starting to, but I'm still kind of a skeptic.

There's a certainty about Greenwood every season: fans know what they're going to get with a Blane Embry basketball team. They are going to play good defense and make few mistakes on the offensive end. They never give up, either. Under Embry's tenure, that's what anyone can expect from the Gators from year-to-year.

The same thing can be said about the Willie Feldhaus's Russell County Lakers. Good defense? Yep! Protect the ball? Yep! Never give up? You betcha!

I always like these two teams because they are tough, so when I saw that they were hooking up in Gator Alley tonight I couldn't miss the opportunity to see them play, although the night was more suited for a polar bear instead of a Kentucky hayseed such as myself.

Coach Feldhaus had his team ready to play. Greenwood seemed flat in the first quarter. At first both teams couldn't have thrown a stone and hit the ground, but Russell County inched out to a narrow first quarter lead. Veteran players like Robbie Bell and Zach Carney led the way for the Lakers, and they did a good job of shutting down Greenwood's two key players, Dee Anderson and Austin Disney.

At the half, Russell County had a 30-21 lead and seemed to be in control of the game.

Greenwood outplayed Russell County throughout most of the second half, although the Lakers moved out to a nine point lead early in the fourth quarter. Greenwood outscored them by three points in the third quarter, narrowing the score to 38-31. Again, Anderson, who is one of the best players in the region, was instrumental in the Gators' gradual comeback in the second half. He is superb at getting to the basket on the dribble. He's good at putting the ball up in traffic and at drawing fouls.

Anderson has been one of my favorite players in the region since I first noticed him playing as a freshman. I wish he didn't mess with football because an injury cost him his sophomore year. I look at him as sort of a three year senior because of that lost year. I know he played, but he didn't play much and didn't play to his potential for a long time.

Greenwood played flat for a large portion of the game, but they finally made some big baskets down the stretch. I think Russell County started playing not to lose. I call it the prevent offense. They tried to stall the ball and run out the clock, but I think it backfired on them. They made some bad turnovers and didn't get many good looks at the basket down the stretch.

Greenwood pulled it out in the end and won 54-51.

OBSERVATIONS

Dee and Disney: Greenwood has to good players, Dee Anderson and Austin Disney. I don't see how they've picked up 13 victories. Disney is a good perimeter shooter, and as I've already stated, Anderson is a good slash and drive player (possibly the best in the Fourth). From there, though the Gators really drop off. Two of their guards are never shoot the ball. The Gators have always made me eat crow, so I might be up for a big steaming portion of it in March, but I don't see how they can contend with their lineup. I could be wrong.

Hack-a-Shag: Dee Anderson is sporting a new doo. He's always had close cropped hair, but now he's got a sort of dread-lock look. Anderson sort of struggles at the free throw line, so Russell County fouled him when they could catch him. Instead of "Hack-a-Shaq" it was Hack-a-Shag, referring to Anderson's hair. He looks good and plays better.

Lookout for the Lakers: Russell County has a lot of veteran players, and their loss tonight was just their second of the season. It's tough to play on the road in the region, so I still think they're pretty good. They always pop up at the end of the season and shock teams in March. Just ask Tim Riley and his Warren Central Dragons. They'll be at Diddle. Coach Feldhaus, I'm sure would like to have tonight's game back. It kind of got away from them.

An Early Welcome: The Pennyrile Pick and Roll looks forward to seeing games at South Warren High School next season. The Trojans? I know that "Warhawks" was one their choices for mascot, and it was the one I was pulling for as a nod to the old Westport Warhawks in Louisville when I was a kid. I was supposed to go to Westport but went to Male High instead. Also, I figured that the new high school would choose colors that were at least somewhat different from Warren Central's. Blue and silver? I thought they'd go with orange in their colors somewhere and be different from all the other schools in the region. I wonder which district they'll end up in. South Warren Warhawks would've been cool. Trojans? Not so much.

Bowling Green 65 - University Heights Academy 56

2010-01-03T09:31:00.002-06:00

Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

I never learn. No matter how many high school basketball games I attend I still step into the gym with a lot of preconceived notions about the two teams taking the court. At last night's University Heights visit to Bowling Green, a game Coach Randy "Real" McCoy schedules every other year so he can make Christmas returns at the Greenwood Mall, I figured that it would be a track meet game with a lot of possessions and a lot of fast break points. It's sort of the same thing that the Kentucky basketball universe expected out of Kentucky and Louisville yesterday.

Nearly the same thing happened. It was ugly. Bowling Green jumped out to a quick lead and seemed as if they might pound the Blazers, but UHA got hot late in the first quarter and made a run on the Purples that put them right back in the game.

Thankfully, these high school players didn't resort to the foolishness that the Cats and the Cards did yesterday. There were no technicals. No forearm shivvers.

I don't have a count on the turnovers that Bowling Green and UHA committed last night, but I could've filled a tally sheet very quickly. Both theams are quick and explosive, but neither of them could take care of the ball last night. I kept waiting for my friend Eddie to insist that the ball was over-inflated, but I think I've made too much fun of him for saying that before. Maybe officials filled the ball with helium.

I'm still searching for something positive to say about this game, but I keep going back to it being just plane, mudfence u-g-l-y. It was almost as ugly as these Pennyrile Pick and Roll staffers.

University Heights did a good job at neutralizing Chane Behanan in the first half. I don't have any stats on the game, but he couldn't have had more than five or six points in the first two quarters. He was out-of-synch and never established an inside game on a much smaller Blazer front line. Behanan finished the game with 15 points. He had two fouls early in the half and spent a long time on the bench.

UHA made a good run at Bowling Green in the second half by using their guards to break from the basket all along the perimeter. Blazer guard Matt McGowan broke down the Purple defense with quick moves into the lane (he got away with two obvious walks, though), and he either scored or dished the ball to someone in better position. [James] Tiberius [Kirk] Smith and David Vance were able to put in 14 and 12 points apiece in the game.

UHA is a good team but young. They don't have the size that they usually have, but they have some good athletes. They are 7-7 right now, and I don't see them being a threat to win the second region this season.

Bowling Green has some problems but not enough to make other Fourth Region teams to think that the Purples won't compete for the championship. Last night they had trouble with guards penetrating their the top of their defense, which resulted in Behanan getting into foul trouble during the first half as their last line of defense. The Purples have got to move their feet on defense or they can expect Dee Anderson to speed past them on his way to lay-ins and about 20 points later in the week. They cannot be matadors.

The Purples also have trouble handling the ball. Behanan and DJ Ray both dribble right into trouble. It seems like they pick the biggest pack of defenders on the court and dribble the ball right into the middle of them. They have no patience. They need to pass the ball more instead of thinking about going coast-to-coast so much.

Bowling Green took control in the fourth quarter and won 65-56.

OBSERVATIONS

One Man Band?: Here's something that Fourth Region teams need to think about. Bowling Green is still a good team when Behanan is on the bench. They are a lot smaller, but the Purples exhibit great speed when the big guy is on the bench. BG played well when Behanan was pine riding with foul trouble.

Now It's Getting Serious: Now, teams settle into playing teams within the region and the season starts to count. Every game is big. Every game is important. For the 14th District, the top seed is golden this season. No offense to the fine folks at Warren East, but the Raiders aren't going to put up much of a fight this year. The team that pulls the top seed will have an almost automatic spot in the regional tournament. The two-three seeds are perilous. No one wants those two spots. I love it.

Blinding Ray: DJ Ray is one of the best in the region at getting to the basket. He is deceptive. He doesn't look quick, but no one seems capable of getting in front of him. I enjoy watching him play.

Tis the Season: Starry nights. Frigid air. Those things can only mean one thing: It's basketball season. Until college football can put together a tournament to choose a champ, I have little respect for it (I am a life long Crimson Tide fan). I still think that Kentucky high school basketball has the perfect format for choosing a champ. I love it.

Bowling Green 64 - Christian Brothers (TN) 59

2009-12-20T22:44:00.002-06:00

Auxillary Gym, Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

I'm getting too old to sit on bleachers for consecutive games. My back is aching tonight. I had another tough decision in the night cap at the Citizens First Bank Classic. Franklin-Simpson took on Mason County in the big gym while Bowling Green took on Christian Brothers High School from Memphis, Tennessee.

Everybody made some really bad assumptions about this team from Memphis. Because they are named Christian Brothers, everyone assumed that they were a religious academy with a weak team. Nothing could be farther from the truth. These guys had some good size and several good basketball players, and they gave the Purples everything they had.

Christian Brothers took an early lead on Bowling Green, and finished the first quarter with an 11-9 lead. The Purples fought back and had a 30-24 lead at halftime.

These two teams were a lot of fun to watch tonight because both like to push the ball up the court and attack the basket. A kid named Booher for Christian Brothers really caught my eye. I apologize for not having his first name because I never bought a program, and I couldn't hear his name when he went to the foul stripe. The kid is a good player and is unafraid to take the ball to the hoop. He had an impressive driving dunk in the second half with a couple of Purples in hot pursuit.

Bowling Green played sloppy during long stretches of the game. I find it amazing how some teams that press a lot hate to face pressure. You'd think they'd be used to it from practice, but sometimes it doesn't translate. The Purples don't like to be pressed, and they start playing frantically to get the ball up the court. They make bad passes compounded by bad decisions. I think they spend too much time looking for Behanan, and they need to relax and push the ball up the court and not worry where their star is.

DJ Ray does a good job with this, and he handles the ball well for a lanky guy. Ray has a quick move to the basket and has learned to take advantage of defenses sagging on Behanan. He's a good, smart ballplayer. Plus, Bowling Green is a young team this year. Ray along with Tommy Boyce and Joey "Gotta Getta" Gorman are the only seniors. They lost seven from last year's team.

I don't have the stats, but Chane Behanan was effective tonight. I understand he had a miserable game against Franklin-Simpson last week. What impressed me is that Behanan had a lot of blocked shots against Christian Brothers tonight. That's good defense.

Bowling Green grew a 13 point lead in the second half, but Christian Brothers came back and made it a game late, led by the Booher kid. He's a tough ballplayer, and I think he caught everyone's attention tonight. Late in the game, Brothers' point guard let DJ Ray get around him, which resulted in them picking up a foul in the paint. Booher didn't hesitate to let the point guard know that it was his job to keep players from slashing into the paint. That's good stuff.

Bowling Green hung on to win 64-59. The Purples are now 5-1 with a loss to Franklin-Simpson.

OBSERVATIONS

Fant-ing Spell: I saw George Fant at the Bowling Green game. He sat with the Kindred brothers from Metcalfe County. That's a lot of big fellows sitting in the bleachers. I can't wait for him and Behanan to go head-to-head this season...and next season.

Royals and Wildcats: I missed a good game between Mason County and Franklin-Simpson. The final was 52-50 with Mason County prevailing. That's a tough loss for the Wildcats. I think it's great that Bowling Green has two gyms and can have simultaneous games, but I always sense that I'm missing something big in whatever gym I'm not in. I was hoping for a Fourth Region sweep tonight.

Metcalfe County 50 - Adair County 47

2009-12-20T22:17:00.004-06:00

Auxillary Gym, Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

The Citizens First Bank Classic at the Purple Palace in Bowling Green always leaves me having to make tough decisions. When I got there tonight Greenwood was taking on Louisville DeSales in the main gym while Metcalfe and Adair tangled in the purple and gold box that is known as the auxillary gym.

I figured that I'll have many opportunities to see Greenwood, who is playing better than any team in the Fourth Region at the time, so I opted to see the Hornets and the Indians play. Plus, I wanted to see Grant and Russell Kindred play for Metcalfe.

I was a little shocked when I went into the gym because the Hornets were tricked out in blue and white uniforms. I've always seen them wear the maroon ones, and for a second I thought I had stumbled into the wrong game.

There's no love lost between these two programs. Although they are in different regions, they are geographic neighbors, and in Kentucky basketball proximity usually results in animosity. It's a good matchup to see in December.

I got to the game a little late because I couldn't pull away from watching Greenwood. When I got there Adair County had a three point lead and Metcalfe picked up their game a bit and wrestled the lead away from the Indians. The two teams sort of swapped baskets throughout the first half.

I really like the Kindred brothers. These two juniors have beefed up a little and have learned well from Coach Tim McMurtrey how to patrol the paint and how to open themselves up for passes to the lane. They know how to use their bodies and both have good hands and good sense on the court. They run the high-low post real well, and Adair County had no one who could keep them from getting the ball on either post. They keep the ball high and throw the ball high. It's really fun to watch them.

The Fourth Region is loaded with a lot of good players this season, and most of them are big fellows, too. There's exceptions like Cameron Hall at Glasgow and Dee Anderson at Greenwood, but Chane Behanan, George Fant, and Kindred brothers. There's too many good teams to catch this season, and I expect whatever team prevails in the Fourth to do some damage in Lexington in March. Everyone in the Fourth needs to watch out for the Hornets this season. They are well coached, have good interior size and play, and guards who can handle the ball well.

Metcalfe County pushed their lead out to nine points a couple of different times in the second half but couldn't hold the Indians off. Adair closed late in the game, and Metcalfe gave them every opportunity to win it. Adair couldn't hit their shots as time ran out and lost 50-47. Their record drops to 3-4, while Metcalfe moves to 5-2 on the season.

OBSERVATIONS

Tim McMurtrey Flexibility Excercises: I don't know how old Coach McMurtrey is, but he is good at crouching down as low to the court as anyone could expect to. I don't know how he does it. If I crouched down as low as he does, my knees would snap. It's impessive.

Twin Towers?: Is it still o.k. to reference the Twin Towers when talking about two tall players on the same team? I thought about that tonight watching the Kindreds play ball. I started thinking about the World Trade Center and that awful day and became reluctant to refer to the two players by that nickname. I finally decided that the term would honor both the World Trade Center and the Kindreds. I think we can be proud of both...or is that all four?

Fudge at Christmas: Considering what an effective coach Mark Fudge is, opponents don't want that Fudge at the Holidays.

Bowling Green 72 - Glasgow 67

2009-12-11T23:13:00.006-06:00

Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

If it wasn't so cold outside tonight, I'd swear it was March. The game at the Purple Palace in Bowling Green had a post season feel to it because two of the best teams and two of the best players in the Fourth Region went head-to-head. After the ballgame I went home and watched the Hilltoppers down the 24th ranked Vanderbilt Commodores, a game that also had a March Madness air to it.

I love it. It's like Christmas in December. Wait. Christmas IS in December. My co-hort, Chris Gregory, and I always say that the Sweet Sixteen is like our Christmas.

Glasgow is good. I just want to get that out of the way because everybody keeps talking about Warren Central and Bowling Green and Russellville and Franklin-Simpson being the best teams in the region, but a good discussion has to include the Scotties. They have a lot of tools at their disposal, including Cameron Hall, who is one of the best dead-eye shooters I've seen in awhile. The Purples learned early that token defense on this kid is not going to get the job done. A hand in his face is not enough to distract him from sending the ball straight through the net. I'm not sure any defense can stop him. He can shoot square to the basket, and he can shoot off balance. I believe that Hall could shoot the ball while he was strapped to the floor and blind-folded.

Glasgow also has Dean Glass, who is a deadly outside shooter, and Kerrington and Michael Bradley. Kerrington has a good soft mid-range baseline jump shot that is difficult to defend.

The Scotties jumped out to an early lead on Bowling Green, but never led by more than six or eight points at any point in the ballgame. They made it through the first quarter with a 16-15 lead on the Purples, but D.G. Sherrill's squad was making a run at them late in the quarter.

These two teams like to push the ball up the court. Bowling Green uses a cast of characters to push the ball, led by Tommy Boyce, Darius Clement, and D.J. Ray. Glasgow depends heavily on Hall, who has great skill at moving the basketball against any amount of pressure. He's a heady ballplayer, a trait he has inherited or absorbed from his father Jeff Hall, who was a crowd favorite during his days playing for Denny Crum at UofL. Jeff Hall is also the Scotties' coach, and he has Glasgow playing championship contender quality basketball.

Bowling Green has Chane Behanan. He's a 6'7" 225 pound junior who is blessed with multiple skills on the basketball court. The term gets useda lot, so I'm reluctant to write it, but Behanan is a man among boys on the high school court. He's big and quick and strong and smart and is going to be a major force in the Fourth Region. He's got good moves around the basket, and when he learns how to use his strength to his advantage, there's not many players in the region or the state, for that matter, who will be able to stop him.

I apologize for not having any stats on the game, and I'd hate to guess how many points Behanan had in the first half, but he got into the flow of the game and made a lot of big baskets in the second quarter.

Bowling Green took a 36-35 lead to the break.

It was a real treat to watch this game because both teams are good and have good players. Hall and Behanan are going to get a lot of press, but these are complete teams in many ways. Bowling Green is a little thin on experience, with only three seniors this season.

Both teams played a fantastic third quarter. They had big plays and big shots, and the Purples still clung to a one point lead, 56-55 at the end of the quarter.

I don't usually complain about officiating, but the officiating crew at Bowling Green tonight needs to learn that teams like Bowling Green and Glasgow are going to get physical. They're going to play in a big danged hurry, too. At the start of the third quarter, one official started calling a foul on every bit of contact he saw between the players. It was awful. In three minutes, he whistled five fouls. That's one referee. He should've been escorted off the court for committing such an abomination in such a intense, wonderful basketball game.

I don't pay money to see referees.

In the fourth quarter, the Scotties looked like they were running out of gas. Heck, both teams looked a little spent. These two teams seemed capable of mixing a fast paced game with a physical one. Play got a little sloppy, but D.G. Sherrill can go deep down his bench and still get good minutes out of reserves.

Bowling Green outlasted the Scotties, 72-67. It was a hard fought game for early December. I believe it was a preview for a March matchup at Diddle Arena.

I get giddy thinking about how good the Fourth Region is this season.

OBSERVATIONS

Fourth Region Banner: Before the game the Purples hoisted a new banner proclaiming their 2009 Fourth Region Championship. It was good to see some of the players from last year's team on the court because those guys played hard every game last season. It's too bad the officials screwed them out of beating Lex. Cath in the first round. Tevin had his feet planted...

Do Not Taunt: This should be a warning to Fourth Region basketball fans -- do not taunt Chane Behanan. It doesn't do any good. The Glasgow students chanted "OVERRATED" as Behanan shot free throws in the first quarter. He missed them, but then he went on a tear and made several baskets while grabbing some huge rebounds. He's not "OVERRATED." Trust me. Guys like Behanan don't even hear that stuff. If they do, they find a way to make the other team pay for it.

Big Doins at the Dragon Den: Warren Central hosts a big shootout on Saturday December 12th. Lots a of good teams. Hopefully, Christmas shopping won't get in the way and I can catch a couple of games.

Glad to be Back

2009-11-25T09:02:00.002-06:00

I survived the partial destruction of my house and an "exile" that lasted for nearly two and a half months last winter and spring. It's been a tough year, but my wife and I have put our house and our lives back together in time for basketball season.

I kicked the basketball season off (is that a mixed metaphor?) by going to a scrimmage between Bowling Green and Apollo. What does one write about a scrimmage? A basketball scrimmage is the equivalent of watching a stock car racer take a handful of laps on the track and then pulling into the garage and tweaking various components of the car. Coaches are tinkering with lineups and plays and finding the tolerances of their teams. I don't try to read a lot into the games or the play.

Right now, I don't even know the names of a lot of the players, which is really the case for Apollo.

Fourth Region newcomer, Chane Behanan, will be a man among boys this season. Chane's family moved to Bowling Green from Cincinnati, and he is a highly sought blue chip basketball players with courters coming from all points of the map to sell their college program to him. I can't wait to see Behanan and George Fant go head-to-head during the season. Like most season, fans will get to see them play one another three or four times in the next few months. It will be one of the great match-ups in the state.

Behanan is well muscled and has superb moves around the basket. Coach D.G. Sherrill can't slow his game down for this kid, though, because the Purps love to run-and-gun, which is the kind of basketball I love to watch. Again, it was a scrimmage, but I'd like to see the big guy hoofing it up-and-down the hardwood. I felt like Bowling Green let up on the full court game to accommodate Behanan.

I don't want to sound like I'm criticizing the kid because he is a great basketball player. I apologize to the readers, as always, because I harken back to my Male High days, too often. Behanan reminds me of Winston Bennett, who played at Male before heading to UK. Many of the descriptions I apply to Behanan applied to Bennett: big, well muscled, good hands, good moves inside, etc. Bennett, however, was an absolute warrior on the court every minute of the game. He was even intense playing "21" with friends. I know. He smashed my nose one afternoon with his elbow.

Maybe it's because it was a scrimmage. I'm anxious to see this guy in action in a real game. I know this. He'll be a major force in the region this year.

It's an easy summary from a scrimmage: Bowling Green is a contender and has a good shot at winning back-to-back regional championships. Also, the 14th District will be tough, as always.

For Apollo, I liked a kid named Trey Ewing. I hope I have that right. He wore #32 last night, and I told my friend Eddie "Frost Free" Dillard that of all the kids on the court he'd be the first I'd choose for a pick-up game. He was everywhere with never being out of position. At one point, the kid blocked a shot, fell to the court, got up and sped down the court to take a pass and hit a lay-up. Beautiful! He's a good defender and played full throttle for the entire scrimmage.

Yep. I'd take him over Behanan, and I don't mean that as an insult.

I like watching Tommy Royce run the point for Bowling Green. He can push the ball up the court, and Coach Sherrill needs to give him the green light more often.

I'm anxious to see all the Fourth Region teams play this season. I can't wait.

OBSERVATIONS

Take It Easy: My wife started jawing the referees last night. I reminded her that it was a scrimmage. That's O.K. We all have fever for some hoops. She needs to mellow out to The Eagles for the next contest.

D.G.'s Deflection: Coach Sherrill tapped the ball while it was in play last night. He apologized to Apollo's coach and their players. That's Sherrill's first defensive deflection since he finished his career at Caldwell County High School. I wonder if he played defense that tight at CCHS.

New Paint Job: Bowling Green put a new paint scheme on the hardwood at the Purple Palace. It looks good. I still wonder why they Male High's letter on their court? The Bulldogs will feel like they have a home game when they play there on January 30th, a game derailed by the Great Ice Storm of '09.

Greenwood 54 - Bowling Green 49

2009-02-07T07:19:00.002-06:00

Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

Someone once told me that Coach Blane Embry could suit up an Upward team in Greenwood uniforms and the Bowling Green Purples would freeze at the sight of them. That's nice hyperbole, but sometime I wonder if it is true. I do know this: Greenwood has got Bowling Green's number. Greenwood's Tommy Tutone and Bowling Green is Jenny.

The other thing I know about Greenwood is that Coach Embry gets the most out of his players, possibly more than can be reasonably expected. The Gators always play hard. Will Clayton, J.J. Smith, and Dee Anderson leave it all on the court almost every time I see them play. In the first quarter of Friday night's game a kid named Cody Stumbo, who should not be confused with current Kentucky Speaker of the House of Representatives Greg Stumbo, stepped up and peppered the Purples with layups and short jumpers that pushed the Gators to a 19-8 second quarter lead.

It's good strategy to hit Bowling Green early. The best way to beat Bowling Green is to hit them right out of the gate and knock out their confidence. I'd say that Stumbo nearly did that single-handedly.

Bowling Green surged in the second frame, though, outscoring their reptilian visitors 18-9 and cutting the lead to two at the end of the first half. At one point Greenwood was stuck at 21, and Jeb Richardson made some key plays. He hit a big three pointer and then followed up a Greenwood turnover with a layup to give the purples a 22-21 lead. It's the old trey and lay play.

I fogot to mention that J.J. Smith hurt his ankle early in the first half and, I think, he even left the bench for the locker room.

Greenwood came back and got the lead late in teh second quarter and tooka a 28-26 lead to the break.

Dee Anderson is among the best press breakers in the region. If a team presses Greenwood, they've got to keep the ball out of Anderson's hands. He handles the ball pretty good, but his feet are two rockets. Anderson has a sense for getting to the rim, too. He cut through the middle of the Purple press like a hot knife, freezing Purple defenders in their shoes. He missed several layups in the game, but I knew he wouldn't miss many more as the game continued. He figured out how to take something off his layups long before Bowling Green ever figured out how to stop him.

I don't understand. When the Purples played and won at Greenwood, they did a fantastic job of containing Anderson. Friday night, it seemed they forgot he was on the court until he was flying past them. I know that Coach D.G. Sherrill told Vic Smith to pack up his locker this week (justifiably so), but Smith is a good defender on the press and near the basket. Greenwood had far too many easy shots against the Bowling Green press. I'm not chastising Coach Sherrill. Instead, I hope Vic Smith realizes what it means to be part of a team.

J.J. Smith returned to Greenwood's lineup in the fourth quarter. I'm sure his ankle was sore, but he brought his team a fresh set of legs down the stretch. He made some important baskets down in the paint. I still can't figure out how this guy takes players down low and scores against them. He's a good player, I know that, but I think defenders in this region need to stand their ground on him and see how many charges they can draw on him.

Greenwood controlled the fourth quarter, and they did what they always do against Bowling Green. They frustrated them. The Purples played desperate and launched more scuds than Saddam Hussein on a drinking binge. The two teams actually played even -- each scoring 13 points -- in the fourth quarter. It gave the Gators a 54-49 victory.

OBSERVATIONS

Post Season Implications: Friday's loss will most likely knock Bowling Green out of any chance of getting the top seed in the 14th District. It's important because the district tournament is played at Greenwood this season, and if the Purps are the two seed, they'll play the Gators in The Swamp later this month. It could mean an early ouster for one of the better teams in the region. Remember Bowling Green is Jenny and Greenwood is Tommy Tutone. "Jenny, I got your number..."

School Spirit: Is it school spirit to chant and sing on an opponent's home court after a victory? I don't know. I'm just asking. Some people might call it "poor sportsmanship."

What the Heck?: Why don't people go to basketball games. Last week, I figured people would be in the rafters at the Purple Palace for Warren Central. This week, I figured the same thing for the Greenwood game. I'm afraid the cancer of television is now killing high school basketball crowds.

Restoration of Pick and Roll Headquarters: I hope my family will be back in our home by the end of the regular season, but it's not looking hopeful. It's hard to do my usual Pick and Roll stuff from a hotel room because I'm not using my "big computer," which is full of links and bookmarks that allows me to come up with information. Plus, most of my time is consumed with issues surrounding the reconstruction of my house.

Bowling Green 61 - Warren Central 54

2009-01-31T06:52:00.002-06:00

Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

"The Ice Bowl"

Yeah, yeah, I know "Bowl" is a football term, but I had to come up with some sort of label for this big game. Bowling Green -- the city and not the school -- wasn't heavily effected by the recent ice storm that has laid ruin to the rest of this great Commonwealth. We are one of the few islands of electricity, fuel, and food in an otherwise battered landscape. So, we're able to tip-up a high school basketball game while many other people are just hoping to get some electricity back in their house or while others stand in long lines waiting for kerosene.

It was a sort of odd night. My house is destroyed. I had to rescue my parents from a Red Cross shelter in Mayfield, Kentucky, so I've dealt with a lot of issues this week. Folks outside of the disaster area cannot imagine what kind of destruction has been done to the western end of the state unless they've seen the destruction from a hurricane. A lot of people might think that a high school basketball game was too trivial or unnecessary in such a desperate time. All day I wondered if they would play the game on Friday night. I hoped they would. Every minute of every day since that tree fell on my house I've had to deal with a hundred different issues coming at me in a hundred different ways. I needed a good night of basketball to wash away some of my worries, at least for a couple of hours.

The game did not disappoint.

I didn't take a lot of notes during this game because I was worn out, and I wanted to sit back and watch a game that promised to set the hardwood at Bowling Green's Purple Palace on fire. I knew that if they burned up the court, there's about 1,000 board feet of tree laying in my yard (some in the house) that they could use to replace the hardwood.

Warren Central and Bowling Green are good basketball teams. They play great defense, and both have a potent offense. They play physical. I sense that there's bad blood between the players. I know there's some bad blood between some of the fans. Disclaimer: Readers must remember that I don't have a dog in this fight. I like both teams, and I'm an outsider to this rivalry. I love the rivalry, though.

In a hard fought first half, Bowling Green took a 31-25 lead to the break. The Purples attacked the basket, led largely by some heady play from Charlie Williams, Tevin Barksdale, and Eric Smith.

A six point lead in a Central-Bowling Green game is nothing. It can be erased in seconds, especially when a team like Warren Central finds their afterburners and starts hitting baskets. Central's sticky defense held the Purple's to just nine points in the third quarter while the Dragons put up 18 in the third frame.

Bowling Green is a good rebounding team, but they never have an answer for George Fant. He knows how to rebound, and there's times when he looks like he's playing volleyball with the Purples. Purples fans get frustrated with their players, but I want to tell you: George Fant is good. He knows how to rebound. He's bigger and stronger than your players. Forget Fant and keep Scooter Lightfoot, Pete Winn, Brett Jackson, and the other host of Dragon rebounders off the boards.

If I had to pick a player I most wanted on my team, I wold pick Pete Winn. The Central students call him "Pistol Pete." That's probably a pretty good nickname for him, but I know none of them ever saw Pete Maravich play basketball. There's only one "Pistol Pete," but because I like Winn so much I'll let him borrow the "nom de hardwood" (if I wasn't writing this in a hotel room and with my office in order I would find the French translation for "hardwood").

I always think that Winn is who makes the Central squad. I'm not taking anything away from any of the others because teams that play like Warren Central have to have contributions from everyone. Winn makes them better. That's why when he fouled out of Friday's game I thought the Purples would win.

I don't know if you could call the way Bowling Green won the game dramatic, but I think it was dramatic. The Purples are a bad free throw shooting team. So, when they got a lead late in the fourth quarter, Central started fouling in an attempt to get the ball back and to capitalize on BG's misery at the charity stripe.

Enter the "King of the Ice Bowl." How would one be the king of such a big bowl of "chilly"? He would have to have ice in his veins. Friday night, Tommy "Rolls" Boyce filled his several pints of ice water into his bloodstream because he hit six critical free throws in the waning seconds of this game to give his Purples squad a big 14th district win over a huge rival. The Purps defend their home turf with a 61-54 victory.

These teams probably have two more encounters this season. They won't disappoint.

OBSERVATIONS

Rail Birds: The crush of exuberant Warren Central students broke the front rail of Bowling Green's bleachers. They fell out into the floor a few minutes before the start of the game. Thankfully, no one was hurt. I'm wondering what's up with the Joker faces, though. Honestly, it's a little bit weird.

Gone Fishin': At halftime, National City Bank sponsored a dance contest between three students from each high school. Central sent three boys out there. Bowling Green sent a boy and two really cute girls out onto the court. Warren Central needs to learn a thing or two about contests -- always go for the eye candy. The Central students started some sort of frenetic dance, but the Bowling Green students did a quick impromptu of the guy reeling the girls in with an imaginary fishing pole. That's funny. The crowd loved it, and Warren Central lost the contest at that moment.

Bureaucratic Stupidity: The City of Louisville, like most of the state, has massive power outages and tons of other problems. Male High's basketball team was supposed to play in the State Farm Shootout on Saturday at Bowling Green High School. The coach and administrators at Male High thought this was a good opportunity to get their players out of cold, dark houses for a nice stay at the Plaza Hotel in Bowling Green, the one city in the state that isn't in jeopardy. Some administrative wonk in the Metro School System pulled the plug on Male's trip, actually made the bus turn around on I-65 to head back into the city. The roads are clear. They weren't in any danger heading down the interstate. The administrator also pulled the plug on Eastern High School coming to the tournament. Fans will notice that Louisville Trinity will be here.

So, the Pick and Roll will give its first "Pinhead Award" to the anonymous dipstick in some Board of Education cubical farm that kept the teams from coming down here because it's always better to keep kids in houses without electricity than to let them mooch some rooms and some meals off State Farm's dime. Wait, I found the guys name. It's spelled S-T-U-P-I-D.

Pennyrile Pick and Roll Headquarters Partially Destroyed

2009-01-27T21:36:00.002-06:00

I had planned to see Warren Central at Franklin-Simpson on Tuesday night. I assume that the game was canceled, but I don't know for certain.

At 8:30 Tuesday morning a massive oak tree fell and destroyed a substantial portion of my house. It did serious structural damage, and as the day went on we figured out that more and more of my home was uninhabitable. My insurance company dispatched a contractor that cut the tree off and out of the house and secured the structure so that it will not suffer any additional water damage. A large portion of the house will have to be rebuilt, and I had to abandon my home office, which is where I also work my regular job when I'm not on the road.

We've landed at a Drury Inn in Bowling Green, and it may end up being our home for a couple of months.

I'm still going to try to blog some games, but I don't know how consistent I'll be. I might do more. I figure I'll get real bored sitting around a hotel room. I may become the official blogger of the Greenwood Gators since I'm practically within walking distance of the school.

I'm hoping all this crappy weather clears out of here so I can go to more basketball games. I'll be at the Warren Central-Bowling Green game on Friday night and at the State Farm Shootout at Bowling Green High on Saturday.

I might post some of the photos I took of the damage to Pick and Roll HQ.

Last year we bought my little boy a real basketball goal. He loves it. His sister loves it. My kids and the neighborhood kids play basketball throughout the spring and summer on it. Last spring as I worked in my office with the windows open I could hear my little boy pretending he was Ty Rogers and hitting last second shots to win NCAA ballgames. It was a touching moment because I remember pretending to be certain basketball players and winning big ballgames. I guess the torch is passed.

When I surveyed the damage to my house I walked around to where the basketball goal is. It was unharmed by the massive branches that seemed to embrace it. I quietly said, "Thank God!" Yeah, that's what I did. I thought about how upset my kids would be if their basketball goal was mangled or destroyed. Sure, it could be replaced. Sure, I was standing in the midst of destruction. I guess that basketball goal was just a small victory in what was quickly becoming a major set-back. I don't sweat the material things. My house can be repaired. We lost none of our heirlooms or irreplaceable belongings. None of us were hurt (it could've been fatal if it happened a few minutes earlier).

I nearly cried thinking about those warm days in the spring when Bowling Green was washed in the euphoria of Ty Rogers' heroics in Tampa and my little boy pretending to be a hero and winning game after game on his very own basketball goal.

Thank God.

Warren Central 70 - Greenwood 50

2009-01-23T21:45:00.003-06:00

Warren Central High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

The basketball is heating up as we near Kentucky's Mardis Gras, which is also known as "March Madness." Yeah, yeah, I know it's still January, but district tournaments are about a month away, and the tension is already in the air when district foes square off against one another. The crowds are large. The basketball is intense. The games are important. Fans are already trying to figure out how district pairing are going to or how they might end up by the results of certain games.

I love it.

When I saw that the Greenwood Gators were going to visit Warren Central, which is just up the highway and is my childrens' home high school, I couldn't resist some good 14th District hoops.

I like these two teams for different reasons. The Dragons are long and lean and athletic, and their press and high octane offense turns the 4200 square feet of a high school basketball court into a postage stamp. I really enjoy watching the Dragons play basketball.

I like Greenwood because they hustle and play above themselves on most evenings. I also like Dee Anderson, who is one of the smoothest players in the state. I sometimes want to check the 6'3" forward's shoes for afterburners, especially after he has cut through a full court press like a F-22 through Saddam Hussein's Air Force.

Early in the first quarter, Greenwood looked as if they rolled into the Dragon's Lair to win a ballgame and jumped to an early 5-3 lead on the team most people believe will win the Fourth Region. Warren Central is capable of putting points on the board in a real hurry. Central's Brett Jackson made some big plays during an explosive Dragon run that gave them the lead 15-5 at the end of the first quarter.

Every team, coach, fan, and player in the Fourth Region should beware. When the Warren Central Dragons turn it up to 11, be prepared to be knocked out. They have that extra notch on their basketball amplifier that puts them "one louder" than most teams. They get the extra push over the cliff.

After their initial five points, Greenwood had no more good looks at the basket. They forced passes and shots, and it seemed every loose ball ended up in a Dragon player's hands.

In the second quarter, Central kind of dialed things back. They didn't press Greenwood, and the Gators found their way back into a game that could've been an ugly blowout. Will Clayton and Dee Anderson made some tough shots, and Greenwood stayed within striking distance at the half down 32-21.

During the second quarter I kept thinking of the Asleep at the Wheel song "Swing with Who Swung You," which may be an old Bob Wills song. It's similar to what stock car racing fans say, "run what ya brung." When Central stepped out of it's persona of attacking the basket and playing pressure full court defense, then they let Greenwood back into the ballgame. I sort of understand because Central travels to South Laurel on Saturday (the next day) for a big game. They had to save something.

Greenwood opened the third quarter with good defense and steady offensive play and were able to cut into Central's lead. Dee Anderson did a good job at splitting up Central's press, and his speed create plays that cut the lead to 32-25. Greenwood hustles on both ends of the court. It is a trademark of Blane Embry's coaching and the determination of his players, which seems to be passed from class-to-class at Greenwood.

The Gators were still snapping at the Dragons early in the fourth quarter in an effort to win the ball game. I told my friend Eddie Dillard, heir to the Dillard Department Store fortune, that Warren Central plays some games like a race car driver coasting with the gear shift in third gear and the clutch in. As soon as they let out the clutch and engage their power, they take off like a dragster.

That's what the Dragons did in late in the third quarter and throughout the fourth. They popped the clutch on their potent offense and opened up a large lead on the Gators. They cruised to a 20 point win over their district foe, 70-50.

Warren Central moves to 6-0 in the region and 3-0 in the 14th District, while Greenwood sinks to 3-6 and 1-2.

OBSERVATIONS

A Feel Good Moment?: It did my heart good to hear the Warren Central student section welcome Bowling Green's Coach D.G. Sherrill to the game on Friday night. Coach Sherrill and his coaching staff found their way to Morgantown Road after downing Warren East 59-51 earlier, and the Central students pointed and chanted, "WE SUNK SHERRILL." I think that's what they said. It made me feel all warm inside. The Purples and the Dragons seem to be headed to a couple of district and regional collisions, so I'm sure there be some warm greetings for Coach Tim Riley at the Purple Palace when they play on January 30th.

More From the Warren Central Students: They have a great response to taunts from other student bodies. On Friday, the Greenwood students chanted "AIR BALL" after a Warren Central miss. The Central student chanted "LOOK AT THE SCORE BOARD," which showed a lopsided lead in their favor.

Go Big Blue: My little boy was sick tonight, so I took my daughter to the game. We left our good vehicle with my wife in case she had to go somewhere. That means we had to roll "Big Blue" out of our little garage. The moniker is kind of joke. "Big Blue" is a 1994 Mazda pickup truck I own that is painted bright blue. Big Blue has nearly 196,000 miles on her, and I only drive her on weekends, usually when the weather is good. The truck has trouble starting when it is cold. I put a couple quarts of oil in it between gasoline fill-ups. The radio doesn't work, either. Warren Central isn't too far from Pick and Roll headquarters in Rockfield, so I could always walk home if Big Blue died somewhere on Russellville Road.

Male High Countdown: The Louisville Male High Bulldogs visit Bowling Green next Saturday at the State Farm Shootout at Bowling Green High. I'm a Male High alumnus, so I'm anxious to see them play, and I plan to write a blog about their game, but I hope Pick and Roll readers don't expect any kind of objectivity from me when writing about my old school. I'm going to pull my old "MALE HIGH" towel from my office shelves to take to the game and serenade this year's team with my rendition of "Dear Old High School."

Let's give a rah for Dear Ole High School
And let us pledge our love of old
Others may like white and crimson (that's a stab at rival Manual)
But for us it's Purple and Gold
Let all our troubles be forgotten
Let High School spirit rule;
We'll join and give our loyal efforts
For the good of our dear school

It's dear Old High School
It's dear Old High School
The pride of all the folks 'round here.
Com on, you old grads
Join with us young lad,
It's LMHS now we hear,
Now is the time boys
To make a big noise
About Kentucky's finest school
For there is naught to fear,
The gang's all hear
So hail to dear Old High School, Hail!

Coach Norb Hummel made every freshman in his gym class learn that song before he would give them a passing grade. He also made us clean rocks from the football practice field along Caldwell Street at the "real" Male High at Brook and Breckinridge streets in downtown Louisville. By the way, my wife hates the "Kentucky's finest school" part. She says it's arrogant. I ask her how many U.S. Supreme Court Justices graduated from Hancock County. Male High also produced Hunter S. Thompson.

Bowling Green 72 - Grayson County 59

2009-01-21T08:20:00.002-06:00

Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

There's just no way to pass up a game between the best team in the Third Region and one of the best teams in the Fourth Region. It's just too good of an opportunity to see some great basketball. Grayson County leads the Third with a 10-1 record and Bowling Green sports a 9-2 record in the Fourth and is right behind Russell County, who is undefeated in the region but only has played six games. I contend that Bowling Green and Warren Central are the teams to beat in the region. Both are good and both play full court, full tilt basketball.

Grayson County is a very good basketball team. All the players handle the ball well or really well, and they all can shoot the ball from anywhere on the court. They are patient and well coached. They don't do anything stupid and they always work for a good shot, which is easy to do when you have shooters like Travis Johnston and Tyler Saltsman on your team.

The Cougars pulled into Bowling Green riding a 10 game winning streak that includes wins over North Hardin, hated rival Edmonson County, and back-to-back victories over Apollo -- the high school and not the son of Zeus.

Bowling Green, still stinging from a tough three point loss at Warren Central, was not going to let the best team in a neighboring region come into the Purple Palace and sneak away with a victory. As usual, the Purples pressed from start to finish (it's why I like watching them so much), and they think in terms of the entire court rather than just the half court on the offensive side. At times, Bowling Green can play as graceful as any basketball team has ever played. Then, there are times when they start looping and telegraphing their passes and taking ill-advised shots and look like they might belong in Cloverport, Whitesville, or on Glenmary Avenue in Louisville.

Hey! The Purples haven't compiled a 14-3 record by playing bad basketball. They get no respect in the Fourth Region, and I don't know why because they have a real good shot at plying the hardwood in Rupp Arena this season.

Grayson County handled Bowling Green's pressure very nicely in the first quarter. They used Bennett Skaggs and Wes Smith to move the ball up the court against the press. They had Johnston in the middle of the court, but the Purples did a good job of keeping the ball out of his hands.

Bowling Green hit some nice shots in the first quarter, including D.J. Ray's bank-in three pointer. I don't think Ray called the shot, though, so it wouldn't count in a game of H-O-R-S-E.

Bowling Green had a thin 19-16 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Grayson County opened the second quarter with a "old fashioned" three point play and tied the score at 19. The Purples, however, pretty much controled the second frame with a good press and good hustle, but Grayson is too good of a team to roll over for an opponent even on the road. Bowling Green opened up a nine point lead at the half, but there was no feeling of the home team being in control of the game. They had a lead, but the Cougars are a forceful team and everyone could sense that they were still around for a victory.

The teams played fairly even in the third quarter, but the Purples did increase their lead by one point.

In the fourth quarter, the Cougars picked up their intensity on the defensive end, and they forced Bowling Green to play some sloppy basketball for a couple of minutes. They cut the lead to four points, and that put the home squad in a dangerous situation because of the long range shooting threat Grayson County presents. The Cougars were making a gutsy charge at a very good team on their home court.

When Bowling Green clicks they really click. When the knuckle down and play their game -- full court and fast paced -- they operate like a well-tuned, high performance engine. They started clicking in the fourth quarter when they decided to attack the basket again against a smaller and slower opponent. Charlie Williams hit a couple of nice shots late in the game. Williams is very good at slashing into the lane with the ball and hitting short jumpers because he has good elevation on his shots.

Bowling Green controlled the last five minutes of the game and won 72-59. It's an impressive victory for the Purples because Grayson County is a fine basketball team. I hope the Cougars and their fans don't hang their heads over this loss because Bowling Green is a fine team, too. Tuesday night's fans -- the few that were at the game -- might have seen a preview of a couple of Sweet Sixteen teams.

OBSERVATIONS

Chambre syndicale de la haute couture: French cuffs? Really? Did I see Coach Todd Johnston sporting French cuffs last night? I just wonder where in Leitchfield he's coming up with dress shirts with those kinds of cuffs. We have a dress code here at the corporate offices of the Pennyrile Pick and Roll, and I have thought about requiring everyone to wear French cuffs, but I think the staff would rebel.

Can't Describe It: Bowling Green's Brian Turner's jump shot defies description. It's effective, and he's a good basketball player. His jump shot starts at his ankles, peaks near the rafters, and splashes down in the nylon. If the Air Force still had Project Blue Book, he'd agents and officers prowling throughout the Fourth Region. It's definitely a UFO, and Bowling Green should call the three point stripe to the left of the lane "Area 51."

Grayson County 49 - Edmonson County 47

2009-01-16T22:04:00.002-06:00

Grayson County High School, Leitchfield, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

A week or so ago I got an e-mail from Brian Alexander at Edmonson County High School pointing out that the Wildcats would take on their district and Third Region rival, Grayson County in Leitchfield on the 16th. Hey! If anybody is going to take the time to e-mail Pick and Roll, I'm probably going to make some effort to get to a suggested game. Gas prices are down this winter, so I'm willing to roll to just about anywhere.

The Grayson-Edmonson rivalry is too good to pass up. I even passed on some rivalry games here in Bowling Green to make the run up to Grayson for a basketball game. I felt like the Cougars might run away with the game because they put some smack down on Edmonson County in Brownsville on December 12th by 18 points. I knew that Bowling Green and Warren Central would play a tight game (Central beat the Purps 63-60, by the way), and I knew that Greenwood and Warren East would be a battle. To tell the truth, I'm a little tired of the 14th District in the Fourth, so I stepped out of the district and region on Friday.

This is going to be real sketchy because I didn't have a notebook or a single scrap of paper to make any notes. I do know that Edmonson County brought their best game into Leitchfield and were not going to back down from a team that seems destined to win a Third Region championship this season. They were determined to avenge the earlier loss. Aaron Duncan, who the Grayson County student section called "Mr. Clean" because of his shaved head, and Mike "60 Minutes" Wallace played their guts out along with several others on the Edmonson County squad.

They had a 14-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. I hope that's right. I know the score is right, but I might have the teams reversed.

Edmonson County managed to keep somewhat of a cap on Grayson's Travis Johnston, who is Coach Todd Johnston's nephew. Johnston missed a lot of shots in the first half, and the Wildcats did a good job of forcing the ball from him. But, Grayson County is a solid basketball team, so others stepped up. Bennett Skaggs and Tyler Saltsman are solid basketball players, and they keep teams from keying on Johnston.

Both teams played solid defense in the second quarter, and the game was tied at 22 at the half. I knew I was in for a battle.

Last season, Chris Gregory, Pick and Roll's intrepid Fifth Region correspondent, ventured into Brownsville for the Wildcat's game with Grayson County. In case readers are wondering what's happened to Chris I should say that he has fallen victim to the slacking economy. You're truly might fall prey to it, too, and that spell the end of the Pick and Roll. Chris is still on the staff and will be for all time. Anyway, he pointed out, then, that this is a heated rivalry. It's almost an understatement. It's a white hot rivalry. I could sense it the moment I walked into the gym, which was packed to the rafters.

I loved the atmosphere. I love big, loud crowds at basketball games. It makes it great.

The two teams played dead even in the third quarter, too. The game was tied at 36 at the end of the quarter.

Grayson County likes to get up and down the court, and Johnston is a deadly pull up jumpshot artist. He can stop anywhere and from any speed and hang the ball in the net or touch it off the backboard. He can also drive the ball all the way to the basket. He's an all around basketball player. I wrote of him last year that he's the type of guy that drives you crazy if you're playing against him, but is the first guy you take if you're "choosin up" to play pickup ball.

With a 1:43 left in the game the scored was tied at 47, and Grayson County had the ball. Edmonson County dropped back in a tight 3-2 zone, and the Cougars decided to wait it out. Johnston stood at midcourt holding the ball looking over the Edmonson County zone. Time whizzed off the clock. The crowd rose to their feet and as more and more seconds ticked away both sets of fans erupted into a frenzied cheer. Grayson County broke into an offensive set and just as the drama reached a crescendo, Coach Johnston called a timeout with 6.6 seconds left on the clock.

I can't remember, but I think Edmonson County called another timeout, and the 6.6 seconds loomed in red numbers with all the intensity of 6.6 Trans Am, a powerful set of numbers in a powerful atmosphere.

Grayson County inbounded the ball to Travis Johnston. He seemed to be in slow motion. He drove to just beyond the free throw line, jumped, double clutched the shot and let it fly. The ball arched over the Wildcat defense as the last of the 6.6 seconds drained away. The shot hit nothing but the bottom of the net right as the buzzer sounded the end of the game. Grayson County students rushed onto the court and embraced their players. They beat their rival.

Johnston finished the game with 22 points. The last two were the most critical. Grayson County swelled their record to 15-2 and 10-1 within the region. They are 5-0 in the district.

OBSERVATIONS

Creole Lady Marmalade: Gitchy gitchy to the Grayson County band. They're great. They whipped out the ancient Patty Labelle standard "Lady Marmalade" late in the game and did a fantastic job with it. They also played "Won't You Be My Girl." I love their band, and I love that they don't blare horrible music between quarters and at halftime. They just have band music.

Blue Moon Highway: I love the name, and I've always loved "Big Mon" Bill Monroe, who I once met at a show in Louisville. If "Blue Moon of Kentucky" doesn't make your hair stand on end and your heart swell for the Dark and Bloody Ground, then you're not a real Kentuckian. Friday night, a Sara Lee truck decided to put the back axle of his trailer in the ditch on a turn. That made me late to the game. I felt sorry for the law enforcement guys out there in nine degree weather.

Caneyville: When I was about eight years old, my father and I were on our way to Mayfield, Kentucky, from Louisville. His old Oldsmobile had a flat tire, and we stopped at the Purple Flash Grill in Caneyville to fix the flat. When we went to get back on the West Kentucky Parkway, we discovered that there was a ten cent toll to re-enter the parkway. Dad looked at me and asked, "Boy, do you have a dime?" I told him know. He punched the gas pedal of that Oldsmobile and that big engine started thumping. We went flying through that toll booth doing about 50 miles per hour and hit the parkway doing about 80. This was probably in 1973 or 1974. Dad didn't slow down until we were near Beaver Dam.

I went through Caneyville at some point today. That's why the memory popped into my head.

Bowling Green 64 - Greenwood 59 (OT)

2009-01-10T08:13:00.004-06:00

Greenwood High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

It's hard to defend a regional championship. Just ask Tim Riley, coach of the Warren Central Dragons. O.K. That might be a bad example. Instead, ask Greenwood Coach Blane Embry. His Gator squad came into Friday night's contest with a 5-8 record after winning the Fourth Region last year. Everybody brings their "A" game against the champs, so Greenwood has a great big target on their chests this season.

When I started looking at schedules this season picking out games I would try to attend, I marked the Bowling Green-Greenwood game first. If you live in the Bowling Green area and like high school basketball, it is a "don't miss game." It rarely disappoints. They are rivals in every sense of the word, and that adversity translates itself to the basketball court.

Blane Embry's Greenwood teams are always well coached, and he has a knack for getting his team to open up quick and bloody the nose of their opponent. I think they've won a lot of ballgames by un-nerving their opponents, especially when they play in "The Swamp," a nickname that makes Greenwood's gym sound better than it really is. The Gators jumped on Bowling Green early, and their tenacious play rattled the Purples early. The visitors played sloppy in the first quarter and kept committing stupid fouls. That's something a team cannot do against Greenwood because they will capitalize on every error. The Gators are better than their now 5-9 record indicates. I also remember that the Gators were 9-7 at the same point last year and finished with a 24-11 record with a trip to Rupp Arena, where Paducah-Tilghman beat them like a rented mule that was also lame.

At the end of the first quarter Greenwood held a narrow 14-11 lead.

In the second quarter, Greenwood continued to play with intensity and took advantage of Bowling Green's tendency to overplay on the defensive end. Greenwood showed patience while the Purples played in a sort of chaotic manner. Fourth Region teams should heed this warning: do not leave Will Clayton open on the perimeter. He will can the three every time. Actually, he can shoot with someone in his face, too.

J.J. Smith contributed some baskets for Greenwood in the first half, but Bowling Green did a good job neutralizing Dee Anderson, Greenwood's junior forward who is among the best players in the region.

The Gators took a 29-22 lead to halftime when Clayton canned a last second three. The Purples had rally, but Clayton's shot was a dagger in their heart right before the break.

Dee Anderson came to life in the third quarter. He started slashing toward the basket and picked things up on the defensive end of the court. He pierced the middle of Bowling Green's press and made strong moves to the rim before the Purples' defense could fall back into a half court defense.

Something puzzled me in the third quarter. Twice Dee Anderson got in the face of the officials. I don't know what his complaint was, but I'm guessing that it was Bowling Green's physical play. That's how they play. What seemed like a bolt from the blue, the official whistled Bowling Green's Charlie Williams for a technical. I don't know what he said to the referee, but it seemed like a quick trigger to me. Maybe the refs were still smarting from Anderson's tongue lashing. There must've been something to it because Coach D.G. Sherrill kept Williams on the bench for a very long stretch.

Through all the intense play of the third quarter, Bowling Green played Greenwood even, and the score was 41-34.

Bowling Green is a pressing team. They are a little different from Warren Central because the Dragons use their press to grind. D.G. Sherrill uses his press to frustrate and to create turnovers, especially late in the game. I love teams that press. I won't say that I hate the half court defense because Lord knows a team must play it well to win, but I much rather watch teams that press than those who don't.

I like pressing teams because it absolutely requires a team effort in order for it to be successful. No one person stars in a press. All five players have to know where to be and when to be there in order for it to work. It's not an easy thing for basketball players to run a press. That's why you don't see it in any pickup ballgames. It either works or it fails.

I don't mean to imply that the Purples' press wasn't working in the first three quarters of the game, but it really started clicking in the fourth quarter. It could be because Greenwood was showing signs of being tired. Their passes didn't snap as much. Their shots were a little short, which a key sign of fatigue. Also, Greenwood's quarter-by-quarter scoring was 14, 15, 12, 8. While the Gators posted only eight points in the last quarter, the Purples rallied with 15 points and tied the game at 49.

The thing that ultimately cost Greenwood the game was J.J. Smith getting a technical very late in the quarter by shoving one of Bowling Green's players. It lands in the Pick and Roll's "What was he thinking" category. An friend of mine who is a self-proclaimed "old school" fan after the game told me, "I'd give that boy ten dollars and his sneakers and tell him to hit the road."

Hey, it wasn't just a game. It's a rivalry game, but more importantly it's a district game and has implications at the end of the season. Plus, he saw the quick trigger on Charlie Williams.

However, I must chalk the technical foul up to Bowling Green's press, executed very well by Williams, D.J. Ray, and Vic Smith. Greenwood was tired and frustrated, which is usually the two results of a well played press.

Did I mention that I love full court presses.

The game went into overtime with score tied at 49.

Who here remembers the first Louisville-Kentucky "Dream Game" in the 1983 regional finals of the NCAA Tournament? Kentucky was spent and was lucky to be in the overtime as a result of Jim Master's 15 foot jump shot. If you don't click the links and don't remember, I'll tell you. Louisville played five minutes of perfect basketball while the Wildcats looked more like kittens being held over a bucket of water. That's sort of how the overtime period went in this game. The Purples assumed the role of Louisville while Greenwood took on the one of the kittens...I mean Wildcats.

Everything clicked for the Purples, and Coach Sherrill kept up the defensive pressure and the attack on offense. "Swing with what swung ya," is what I always say, and that's what Bowling Green did. However, Blane Embry is never going to let his team roll over and die, especially in a district game, which equates with a rival. Wisely, they started fouling Bowling Green. Greenwood looked spent. Bowling Green has trouble at the free throw stripe.

I won't say that Bowling Green did a good job at the stripe, but they hit just enough free throws to keep Greenwood at arm's length. They won an exciting game, 64-59.

Don't look now, but the Bowling Green Purples are 12-2 and 7-1 in the region. Greenwood hasn't won a Fourth Region game, and they are now 0-1 in the 14th District.

OBSERVATIONS

Low Ridin' Greenwood Band: Any time a pep band breaks out War's "Low Rider" at halftime I become an instant fan. Here's what I know. I know that no one playing that song was born when that song was on the radio. I wonder if some of their parents were even born when the song was popular. It's timeless, though. Too fine! Hey, Gators! If you're playing old music try "Papa Loves Mambo."

Watch It Punk: If anyone reading the Pick and Roll thinks it's smart to bring a pointer laser to a basketball game and shine it on the court, think again. Friday night, some kid on the Greenwood side had one of these things, and he shined it on the court during critical moments of the contest. Once it bounced up in blitzed me in the eyes. I pointed towards the kid, and he shined it again. That's too much. I alerted the Warren County deputy sheriff standing at one end of the gym.

Someone that stupid and foolish has no business being in public. I saw the kid, and I very nearly escorted one of the deputies up there to take the thing away from him. If I catch someone with one, I will take and smash it into the concrete with the steel heel of my pointy toe cowboy boots. I might do something else with the points of those boots. I can't stand that kind of stuff, and there is no place in the civilized world of basketball for some idiot with a laser beam jeopardizing the health of fans and players and the fair outcome of a basketball team. The freakin' moron, could hurt one of your own players.

Postseason Feel: Last night had it. The crowd was large and into the ballgame. The players all played hard. It felt like they were playing to stay alive. I love it.

Warren Central 76 - Russellville 61

2009-01-07T06:13:00.002-06:00

Warren Central High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

When the High School Zone magazine polled Fourth Region coaches last fall most of them picked Russellville and Warren Central as the two best teams in the region. So, I marked this game on my calender as a "must attend" before the first games were played this season. As of Tuesday night other teams in the region sported gaudy win loss records, while the two pre-season favorites each stood at 8-3. One must dig a little further into their schedules to understand how Russellville and Warren Central arrived at those records. Two of the three Central losses were at the hand Christian County, and both games were played in Hopkinsville. Central's other loss was against Liberty Tech, a team from Tennessee.

Russellville had a rough road in the Arby's Classic in McCreary County, dropping three of four games. One loss was a heartbreaking 42-41 loss to Wayne County.

I sort of picked Warren Central to win this game before they tipped the ball up because Russellville was on the road and hasn't played as tough of a schedule as the Dragons.

I've always been impressed with Central's explosiveness. Even last year when they were down a bit, they still had an explosive quality and could put up points in spurts that left their opponents stunned. This season is no different except that the Dragons are much improved on what was an already good basketball team. In the first quarter, they doubled up Russellville before the Panthers knew what hit them. They had a 15-7 lead, and Panther Coach Dennis Pardue called a timeout with 3:12 left in the quarter to break the Dragons' momentum and to give his team a breather.

It worked. Russellville played them even with good guard play from Elam and Quarles (I cannot find a Russellville roster anywhere, so I apologize for not having names). Central used a balance attack of Pete Winn, Jordan Shanklin, and Scooter Lightfoot to post 25 points and a eight point lead at the end of the first. George Fant, a sophomore center for the Dragons and who is already attracting the attention of WKU, did not start the game but played a considerable amount throughout the game.

I wonder if Coach Tim Riley walks around thinking "Win with Winn." It sounds like a political slogan, and the Dragons are on a campaign to win their seventh Fourth Region crown in eight years, then they need to keep that slogan in mind. Win with Winn. Pete Winn plays guard for Warren Central and handles the ball against any kind of defensive pressure, but Winn also finds many different ways to score. He can shoot from the perimeter. He can slash to the basket. He can rebound and post in the paint. He always finds a way to put the ball in the basket. Winn is possibly one of the most underated players in the Commonwealth. I've always enjoyed watching him play.

Winn was hot in the first two quarters, and it was his play that allowed Central to maintain a seven point lead on a determined Russellville team. The two teams scored 14 points a piece in the second quarter and went to halftime with the Dragons up 39-32.

I hope I don't sound like a broken record because I know I've written this before: Warren Central wears down its opponents. They press the entire game, unless they are absolutely thrashing a weak team. Coach Riley doesn't use his press to force teams into a bunch of turnovers, although it often results in that. He uses the press in the same manner uses B-52's to carpet bomb an enemy. It is designed to break their will to fight or in the case of the Warren Central basketball to break their will to play ball.

His press works because his players give him 110% percent effort on the defensive side of the game, and they are always where they should be in a no-frills 2-2-1 press that swarms the inbounds pass. Teams better find a way to go over this press because if they putter a little five foot pass to a guard, Central is going to pin him down on the baseline -- the wrong baseline.

By the end of the third quarter, Russellville looked tired and played tired. They're a good team, but they were broken and frustrated at this point in the game. Also, the Panthers had a miserable night shooting. They couldn't hit the Earth if they were dropping basketballs out of a hot air balloon. Terrible. Warren Central led 56-41 at the end of three.

Twice in the fourth quarter the Dragons opened up 18 point leads on the Panthers. They backed off a little bit, and Coach Riley even put in his second team. Russellville made a little run, and Riley brought his "A" team off the bench, and they responded like firefighters, dousing a little blaze coming from the Panther bench.

Shemarkus Wells (c.s.) provided the highlight of the fourth quarter. Late in the game, he took the ball to the rack and dunked it two handed in traffic. The officials called a technical on him for hanging on the rim. I guess a case could be made for him needing to hang to protect himself. I don't know. It was a nice play, though, and it brought the fading crowd to life. It was the perfect punctuation mark for the ballgame.

Central won 76-61 and ran their record to 9-3 and 1-0 in the region. Russellville is now 2-1 in the Fourth. These two will tangle in post season. I just sense it. I've always believed that in the basketball adage "Guards win championships." These two teams have great guard play.

OBSERVATIONS

When the Moon Hits Your Eye Like a Big Pizza Pie: That's amore'. Warren Central does a halftime promotion that I love. If you pay a dollar, you can take a three point shot to win a free pizza from Minit Mart. They get people shooting baskets at both ends of the court and the fans jeer and cheer as others try their hand on the hardwood. One boy kept paying a dollar and missing his shot. I saw him pay four times. I wanted to say something to him because pizzas at Minit Mart are only $5.99. At one point this summer, I thought it was going to be cheaper to buy a pizza than to put a gallon of gas in my truck. I wonder if the boy realized he had nearly paid for a pizza before he gave up. Also, a Russellville cheeleader paid her dollar and swished a three. James Brandenburg from WBKO paid his buck and took a shot. He was off the mark. Hey, JB, you need a pizza about as much as I do. You and I need to do the same thing -- put a dollar towards a gym membership.

I loved Dean Martin.

Fant-om Menace: George Fant did not start. I'm not sure if he starts at all. He's a good basketball player, and I believe that WKU has already offered him a scholarship. Other Division-I programs are sniffing around the gym at Warren Central. Fant has muscled up some from last season, and he has a quick move to the basket when he wants to have one. He also rebounds well. At first, I thought Central didn't feed him the ball enough, but when a team has Jordan Shanklin, Pete Winn, and Scooter Lightfoot on the perimeter, it doesn't need to punch the ball in the middle too much. Fant draws double teams and Central compensates by passing over the cluster around him to someone attacking the basket on the weak side.

Respect the Dragon: Fourth Region teams better watch out for this fire breathing lizard on Morgantown Road. They will be a handful late in the winter.

Franklin-Simpson 46 - Princeton (OH) 38

2008-12-29T20:19:00.002-06:00

Greenwood Classic, Greenwood High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

About halfway through the second half I almost decided not to blog this game because I didn't want readers to think that I'm making excuses or taking up for my friend Jill Phillips, head coach of the Princeton Lady Vikings. I missed getting Coach Phillips a Christmas gift, but if I was going to get her a late one, I buy her this. Maybe I should buy her a nice Slip-and-Slide to go with the hosing her team took tonight against Franklin-Simpson.

I mean no ill will toward my good friend down in Franklin because I think they'll know that I've been a fan of the Lady Wildcats. A hosing is a hosing, though, and since Coach Phillips is a good friend, I have to label the game just as it was.

Now, I'm not making excuses. The Lady Vikings have to start hitting layups or its going to be a long season for them. They have to play better defense in the first half.

I told my friend before the game that the Lady Wildcats came within a heartbreak of winning the Sweet Sixteen last year, and Coach Phillips briefly coached in Kentucky and knows the significance of that tournament. She understood what I was saying, too. Franklin-Simpson is a team that has played and won big games and has the hunger of being so close to a championship.

Really, the Lady Wildcats controlled throughout the contest. They outscored Princeton in each of the four quarters. Princeton played them even in the second quarter, with each team scoring 10 points. Franklin-Simpson took a 20-19 lead into halftime.

There was a play from the first half that I want to point out because it exemplified good coaching and smart ball playing. A loose ball popped up into the air near mid-court, and Drea Gooch for Franklin-Simpson could have easily caught the ball in her own back court, but she would have been in the corner and easily trapped. Instead, she let the ball cross mid-court and then took possession of it. That's smart ball. She nullified any kind of trap and was able to create a play out of it. The play happened right in front of me, and my hat is off to Coach Lex Lindsey and Drea Gooch for such heady play.

My beef with this game was in the second half. To protect their legs, the Lady Vikings dropped back into a 3-2 zone and switched from that into a 2-1-2 and even a 1-3-1 zone. Franklin-Simpson, using sound strategy pressed Princeton throughout the half. With 1:43 left in the half, the officials had called seven fouls on Princeton and just two on Franklin-Simpson. I don't doubt that Princeton committed that many fouls, but I've never seen a pressing team commit just two fouls during a half. Franklin is good but not that good.

Franklin-Simpson won a tough fought game tonight, 46-38. The Lady Wildcats still only have one loss against 11 victories. Their one loss is to the Iroquois in the Lady Panther Classic at Pleasure Ridge Park. They are the team to beat in the Fourth Region this season, and the Road to Diddle runs right up 31-W through the city of Franklin, the finest little town in the South.

OBSERVATIONS

Good Fan Support: The Lady Wildcats have a throng of faithful fans. I'm sure some had a tough decision to make tonight with their boys team hosting their own tournament. They cheer hard, too. It was a good atmosphere.

Dancing with the Stars: Jill Phillips did a little dance on the court on Monday night demonstrating a proper layup to one of the officials. I think we can look for her on ABC in a few weeks. I haven't seen that kind of footwork out of Coach Phillips since she played at Georgia.

The Polar Express: I don't know the young lady's name, and I apologize. Number 30 for Princeton looks like the girl from the movie The Polar Express. I mean that as a compliment, too.

No Idea But Had to Include It: I just have to include a video about The Turtle Man. It has nothing to do with basketball, but I love Kentucky and her people. Watch and enjoy. I know a fellow in Hickman County, Kentucky, who noodles for catfish. I have an open invitation to go noodling with him sometime, but it takes a special kind of fortitude to do that kind of fishing. My friend says that it takes a "strong arm and a weak mind" to noodle catfish. The only way I'll go is if I can get Coach Phillips' professor husband to go with me.

Princeton (OH) 48 - Warren East 45 (Girls)

2008-12-29T06:32:00.002-06:00

Greenwood Invitational, Greenwood High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

I planned to put Pick and Roll on hold for a week while I visited family at Christmas and painted a hallway, stairwell, and two rooms in my house. I was fooling myself by thinking that I could stay away from basketball games with time off from work. Plus, I've lost my television because Santa Claus brought my children a Wii. Yep, you're right. I've logged some time on Mario Kart, and my kids can beat the living daylights out of me on the boxing game. I still mouth them like I'm the Louisville Lip, and they look at me like I've lost my mind.

My good friend, Jill Phillips e-mailed me and said that she was bringing her Princeton (OH) Vikings team to Bowling Green for a Christmas tournament, there was no way I was going to miss her games. Well, I missed one because I was in Mayfield, but I caught up with her team when they played Warren East on Sunday night at Greenwood.

I was torn. I really like the Warren East girls team have enjoyed watching Ashley Rainey play ball over the past couple of seasons, but Coach Phillips and her husband are very good friends of mine. How good? They have spent weeks at our house at times, and the Mrs. and I have always enjoyed their company. I've even proofread parts of her husband's books. He's a big, fancy professor at a little place called the University of Cincinnati. His students tell me that his courses are "bunny" or "Mickey Mouse" and that they take them to boost their GPA.

Princeton opened the game with an active full court press, and I believe they hit their first six or seven shots. Warren East looked a little flustered by the defense but never lost their composure. When they adjusted to the pressure they rallied late in the quarter, and trimmed the lead to one, 14-13, at the end of the first.

Warren East outplayed Princeton in the second quarter. They hustled for loose balls, played good defense, and East started hitting their shots. Amy Barnett handled the defensive pressure well and got the ball up the court, and Rainey was able to score down low. I'm always surprised at how well Rainey handles the ball along the perimeter.

Princeton could not buy a bucket in the second quarter. They rushed their shots. They forced their shots by foolishly challenging Rainey in the paint with smaller players. They paid the price, too. The Lady Vikings scored only seven points in the second frame while coughing up 16 to the Lady Raiders. East took a 29-21 lead to the break.

I like defensive oriented ball teams. If a team commits to playing good defense every time they take the court, then they have a shot at winning every game they play. All teams have bad shooting nights, but no matter how small the hoop seems a team can play good defense. I believe that's the case with my friend's team. They had lapses on the defensive end on Sunday night, but they clamped down and played good defense in the second half of the contest. Their defense got them back in the game.

The Lady Vikings know when to spring a trap or to apply double team pressure in a full court press. They frustrated East and made the Lady Raiders turn over the basketball. By the end of the third quarter, Princeton cut the lead to five.

Warren East responded early in the fourth quarter and pushed their lead back out to eight. It wasn't looking good for my friend and her Lady Vikings, but I was glad to see one of my Fourth Region favorites doing well against a good team from the Cincinnati area. I should, however, mention that Princeton was without their best player, who was injured in their game against Greenwood. I can't remember her name but Ohio State has recruited her, and she is the core of the Lady Viking's squad (I don't have a roster for my friend's team, and I'm terrible with name. I sometimes call my little boy by the dog's name).

Princeton's defensive pressure started paying off for them late in the fourth quarter. With 1:10 left in the game, Princeton took their first lead -- 45-44 -- since early in the second quarter. Warren East was able to tie the game on a free throw and then gave Princeton two chances to win the game. First, Stalworth stole the ball and went flying toward the hoop for a layup, but she put the ball on the glass too hard. It bounced off, and Warren East went back the other way as time was running out.

I figured we were heading to overtime. Princeton forced another Lady Raider turnover and had the ball with about 4.5 seconds left. Coach Phillips called a timeout and went over a play to get the ball up the court. Stalworth took the inbound pass and dribbled past the time line. She went up for a shot, but a Lady Raider got her hand on the ball to block it. Stalworth clutched in the air, adjusted her shot, launched a 22 foot leaner, and hit nothing but net.

It's a heart breaker for Warren East.

My friend Coach Phillips is originally from Shelbyville, Tennessee, and played high school ball for Rick Insell (as a WKU fan I hiss every time I type or say his name). She has a beautiful, drawling Tennessee accent. She said, "Well, I guess I'm going to have to start coloring my hair" in reference to the dramatic ending to the ballgame. I asked her if the play unfolded like she diagrammed it during the timeout. Like any coach would claim she said, "Yep, exactly."

Princeton steals one from the locals, 48-45.

OBSERVATIONS

The Swamp: I've been in a lot of high school gyms, and Greenwood's is among the bottom feeders in the region. There is not enough room at either end of the court, so they have the Duke style "hang-down" goals, which is fine. However, the way they are mounted to the ceiling results in a cable that droops down over the goal. A ball hit that cable last night and altered a play. I've always noticed it and have anticipated it being a factor in a ballgame. I just hope it's never a factor in a district game some day. No offense, Greenwood fans, I hate that place. This is just a suggestion: put a small lobby at the entrance so that fans don't open the door right into the gym.

Pick and Roll Not Title IX Friendly?: I know my regular readers will be surprised to find a summary of a girls' game on here. I like girls basketball, but I only have so much time on my hands to attend and write about games. I default to boys basketball, and I really do apologize to fans of the ladies. I'm trying to do better.

The Fortitude of Coaches: I noticed that Coach Phillips loaded her team into two passenger vans for their trip to Culver's -- the tournament's primary sponsor. She and her staff have to look after a high school basketball team for four days and shuttle them about in vans. I know that all other coaches go through this. I don't think casual fans of the game realize what coaches go through and do for their teams.

Lone Oak 61 - Allen County-Scottsville 57

2008-12-28T16:17:00.002-06:00

Time Piece Roundball Classic, Graves County High School, Mayfield, Kentucky

J. Trace Kirkwood

I sometimes surprise even myself with the games I end up watching. Although I grew up in Miami and Louisville, I have deep roots and strong ties to Mayfield, Kentucky. It has been the base of my family for over a century, and my parents are living out there retirement in the "Pearl of the Purchase." After celebrating Christmas with my in-laws, we trucked out Mayfield to celebrate the holiday with my parents. I picked up the Mayfield Messenger and discovered that our own Allen County-Scottsville Patriots were slated to play the Lone Oak Purple Flash on Saturday night.

I know the Purchase ain't the Pennyrile, but, by golly, it's a close cousin.

Let's see. Allen County brought their coaches, players, some fans, busses, equipment, basketball, uniforms, shoes, socks, and probably a credit card from the school system. What could they have left behind. Oh yeah. Their game.

High school basketball keeps me in a perpetual state of "what the heck?" The Patriots looked good against Bowling Green the other night even though they lost the ballgame. They looked like they could challenge for the Fourth Region title, so I was delighted to get an opportunity to watch them play a game or two against teams from other regions.

Lone Oak, a high school and community just outside of Paducah, started the season 3-1 with victories over Hickman County, St. Mary, and the Reidland Greyhounds, but they dropped the next six game to teams including Apollo, Louisville Moore, and North Hardin. They're a hard team to read.

Allen County opened the game like they came to play -- at this point I did not know they lost to University Heights earlier in the day. The Pats opened up a quick lead and had good ball movement on offense. I did notice that they depended upon the perimeter to get baskets because Lone Oak sagged down on Phillip Hayes. When they did get the ball into the big man, Lone Oak had no answer.

Allen County had a 14-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Flash came alive in the second quarter. Their defense triggered their comeback, and they whittled into Allen County's lead. By the 4:54 mark, they led 18-16 with a 9-2 run. The Patriots looked tired while Lone Oak, who also played earlier in the day, was hitting their shots and playing active on both ends of the court.

Coach Scott Shelton benched Hayes for about the last three minutes of the half. I don't know if he was tired or if the coach was trying to get his attention. I do know that the Patriots needed him out there. Casey Napier, Joe Jeskie, and Anthony Graves are good perimeter players, but they need Hayes in the middle un-balancing the opponent's defense.

Lone Oak took a 26-22 lead to the locker room by outscoring the Pats 17-8 in the second frame.

Allen County continued to look out-of-synch in the third quarter. The Flash, led by Cameron Tillet, Jamrielle Brown, and Josh Byrd continued to fill the passing lanes and frustrate Allen County on the defensive end, and they hit big baskets, allowing Lone Oak to hold onto a seven point lead at the end of the third quarter.

Allen County's lackadaisacal play showed up again in the fourth quarter, giving every indication that they were tired. I know two games in one day is difficult, and maybe it is hard at this time of the year. Everyone knows that in order to win a Sweet Sixteen championship a team must be able to play and win two games on Saturday. I don't see Lone Oak making much of a challenge in the First Region, so if the Patriots are going to challenge in the Fourth, they have to be able to tangle with these types of teams even when they're tired. I know Coach Shelton knows that.

Lone Oak extended their lead to 12 at one point during the Fourth Quarter. With 3:30 left in the game, Coach Shelton called a timeout, grouped his team around him, and started giving them something other than Christmas greetings. He wasn't apologizing for being late with his Christmas cards. I don't know what he said to his team, but he needed more time. He called two more timeouts.

I've never seen a coach do that.

Phillip Hayes pushed over a chair during the "Mother of All Timeouts." Mr. Hayes found a cozy spot on the bench and stayed there for the rest of the contest.

Allen County made a gallant run late in the fourth, led by the active and athletic play of Kevin Bunton. With 9.1 seconds left the Pats cut the lead to three points and had a shot at winning the game. The Flash held them off and won 61-57.

OBSERVATIONS

Great Gymnasium: Graves County High School is a great place to watch a basketball game. The stands are steep and close to the floor and include plenty of chairbacks on the home side. The concessions are good. I hate to say it, but it outclasses all but one gym in the Fourth Region. Bowling Green's "arena" rivals "The Eagles Nest," but it lacks the endzone seating of Graves County's.

Careful For What You Wish: Last week I complained about the bitterly cold weather. Saturday in Mayfield featured 72 degree weather and some sunshine. At game time, a vicious line of storms pounded their way through the Jackson Purchase, and fans discovered how badly the entrances to the Eagles Nest leak. I enjoyed the balmy weather but not the monsoon.

The Pearl of the Purchase: That's an old nickname for Mayfield. I mentioned earlier that I have strong ties to the city. I used to spend a good portion of each summer between 1970 and 1980 either in Mayfield or on my grandmother's farm near Fancy Farm. It was/is a second home to me. I used to pedal an old bicycle all over that town and came to know a lot of its residents. I'll probably get e-mail about this, but Mayfield has fallen on hard times. It's just not the same place from my childhood. It sort of makes me sad.

There's some good places to eat in Mayfield. Carr's Barbecue Barn and Hill's Barbecue are both very good. If you have a place to go eat it, Larry, Darrel and Darrel's is also very good. When you get barbecue in Mayfield, don't be surprised if they smash it down to look like a hockey puck. Trust me. I work for the government. It's good! Ace's Pizza is good, especially their meatball sandwich. There's also a doughnut shop just north of the town on U.S. 45 that has fantastic doughnuts. If you go early in the morning the things are too hot to eat.

I'd write more about Graves County High School, but my family are all Mayfield alumni and they'll disown me.

Bowling Green 63 - Allen County Scottsville 62

2008-12-24T07:37:00.002-06:00

Citizens First Classic, Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

There's no love lost between Bowling Green and Allen County-Scottsville. Current Bowling Green coach, D.G. Sherrill, used to coach the Patriots and some in Allen County feel like the Purples stole him away them. Maybe some were glad to see him pack up his office and head north on U.S. 231. I don't know. The rivalry of these two teams date back to the days when Jim McDaniels swooped up and down the hardwood for Allen County-Scottsville. I was glad to see the two teams tangling for the championship of the Citizens First Classic.

Bowling Green entered the game with only one loss, a one point heartbreaker against the Glasgow Scotties. Allen County rolled into the game with an undefeated record and a hard fought, double overtime victory over Madison Central on the first night of the tournament. I could sense that these two teams were going to go toe-to-toe for 32 or more minutes to haul home the tournament trophy.

The Allen County faithful really turned out for the ballgame, and they were in full voice from beginning to end. They made it fun. There's a female Patriot fan who can whistle nearly as loudly as I can (I've developed a New York taxi cab hailing whistle that can be heard up to a mile away). An old farmer once told me, "A whistling woman and a crowing hen often meet the same fate." I always loved how well Donna Douglas, who portrayed Elly May Clampett, could whistle.

The first quarter set the tone for the entire ballgame. Bowling Green's full court pressure worked well, and the Purples, once again, had everything clicking on their transition game. The Patriots regrouped and charged back at Bowling Green. Both teams played kind of sloppy, but that's because neither teams' defense backed down. They played physical basketball and, at times, rough. The officials called 11 fouls in the first quarter, and it wasn't a case of over-officiating, either.

I was real impressed with ACS's center, Phillip Hayes. He's big, strong, and surprisingly mobile for his size. He's not a stand around center on defense or when it comes to rebounding. He has a hand in a lot of plays, and he can move away from the basket on defense, too. He has a soft touch around the basket and good hands. Bowling Green had a narrow 16-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter was just as physical as the first. The Purples pushed the lead to eight at one point, but Allen County responded and cut the lead to three on one of the best plays I've seen in a high school basketball game in a long time. The Patriots' Kevin Bunton received an alley-oop pass from the corner and jammed it through the basket to make the score 35-32 late in the quarter.

Bunton is one of those last names that stirs the soul of longtime high school basketball fans in this state. It is one of Louisville's basketball dynasty names like Unseld, Eaves, and Macklin. Bill Bunton played for Male High School and later another school on Brook Street called the University of Louisville. If I remember right, he had a brother named Bob, who also played for Male High. Granville Bunton played high school ball in Louisville and later was a rebounding wizard at WKU. Cypheus Bunton played at Western High School and became a fan favorite at Western like his Uncle Granville. As a Louisvillian when I see "Bunton" I think, "athletic, quick, smart, and good."

Kevin Bunton didn't have a real good game, but I believe he has the attributes of his namesakes. I wonder if he is related somehow. He certainly has the elevation because earlier in the quarter he went up to block a shot, and looked like his hand was near the top of the box. If I had to guess, I'd say Bunton is 6'3".

The Purples got another bucket at the close of the first half and took a 37-32 lead to the locker room.

Allen County came opened the third quarter by breaking the Bowling Green press with good ball handling and crisp passes. They frustrated the Purples with their own brand of pressure defense and exposed some of the ballhandling weaknesses of this year's Purples. Charlie Williams is Bowling Green's best ball handler, but he dribbles into to trouble too often.

Bowling Green held on, though, with good perimeter play and tenacious play on the boards, despite Hayes' size and presence in the paint.

The third quarter featured another funny incident involving a referee absolutely blowing a call. Three Purples tussled for a rebound and bounced the ball out-of-bounds right in front of one of the officials. He blew his whistle and shouted, "WHITE BALL!" It was the wrong call. I guess the other official didn't see the play. The Allen County fans were unhinged because it happened right in front of them. The official came over to talk to Patriot Coach Scott Shelton, and the Bowling Green fans encouraged him that he made the right call.

That's not the funny part. James Brandenburg from WBKO Channel 13 was shooting video at the end of the court where the questionable call was made. When the crowd quieted down some wag on the Allen County side yelled, "We'll watch it on Channel 13 tonight!" while pointing at Mr. Brandenburg. Everyone got a good laugh out of it.

Bowling Green held their five point lead at the end of three, 55-50.

The game had the feel of a district or regional tournament game. It had an air of March Madness to it. It was great.

Allen County-Scottsville has earned a reputation in this early season as being a "fourth quarter team." They opened the quarter earning their reputation. Hayes slashed the lane for a nice tomahawk dunk. Kevin Bunton followed that play up with a basket and a foul. He drained the free throw, and the game was knotted at 55 with 6:42 left.

The fourth quarter was a defensive struggle. Both teams played hard. Allen County played like a team determined to keep its undefeated season. Bowling Green played like a team determined to knock an undefeated rival. Ordinarily if a game featured just 15 points scored over a 6:42 span, I'd say it was ugly. The two defense locked down their defenses and played to win the game.

Allen County took a 62-61 lead late in the game, but Bowling Green scored late to take a one point lead. The Patriots had a chance to win the game with just a few second left, but as they brought the ball up Tevin Barksdale picked the guard's pocket. Time ran out as he made his way back up the court.

Bowling Green grabbed the win and the championship with a 63-62 victory. I'm anxious to see the welcome the Purples get when they play in Scottsville on January 12th.

OBSERVATIONS

Another Donkey Chasm: Folks, if you're going to drop the verbal "A-Bomb" on a coach, make sure you know who is sitting nearby. Try to refrain from it if their are children present. Try to figure out if the lady sitting behind you is the coach's wife. If your the parent of a player and not satisfied with the coach try talking to the coach, the athletic director, or the even the principal about your complaint. Coaches are big and tough and emotionally equipped for the name calling. Wives and daughters are not. Another piece of advice: pay attention to Southwest Airlines ads.

All Tournament Team:

D.J. Ray -- Bowling Green
Cameron "Big Man" Clemmons -- Louisville Doss
Kevin Bunton -- Allen County-Scottsville
Lamont Graham -- Louisville Doss
Phil "Not Purple" Hayes -- Allen County-Scottsville
Curtis "Boom Boom" Washington -- Elizabethtown
Chris Ulis -- Elizabethtown
Vic Smith -- Bowling Green
Charlie Williams -- Bowling Green

Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Mele Kalikimaka!and Happy Hanukkah: You won't find any "happy holidays" stuff on the Pick and Roll. I'll leave everyone with one of my favorite Christmas songs from Robert Earl Keene.

Louisville Doss 63 - Madison Southern 52

2008-12-23T09:28:00.002-06:00

Citizens First Classic, Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

I always try to be honest with my readers. I stayed for this game after Bowling Green's game, but I should have gone home. I didn't take many notes because I was tired. As soon as I finished my work day (my real job that kind of pays), I gulped down some supper, corralled the kids, and headed for the gym. It's hard for me to leave basketball games. Junkies probably have an easier time leaving heroin dens and drunks are better at leaving bar stools than I am leaving a good game of hoops. I've tried a 12 Step program but can't do it without dribbling.

Memory Alert!!

I haven't seen the Doss Dragons play for nearly 30 years. When I was a freshman at Male High, we played at Doss. Steve Sargeant was our point guard and Winston Bennett was a sophomore and on his way to being an All-American at Male and later a small school in Lexington called "Kentucky." Doss whipped out a nasty full court press that left the Bulldogs desperately confused. At one point Bennett had the ball in the corner and tried to throw over Doss's basket to Sargeant, who was begging for the ball. He looped the pass, and hit nothing but net. Two points for Doss scored by Winston Bennett.

I was surprised to learn that Dwight Bransford dragged his Dragons into Bowling Green without a victory, but those guys have taken on Male (this time they lost), Iroquois, Paul Dunbar, and George Rogers Clark. They beat Hart County on Sunday and faced a 4-1 Madison Southern team on Monday night.

Doss controlled the entire game and steadily pulled away from Madison Southern. The Dragons had a three point lead at the end of the first quarter, 18-15, and had a 33-35 lead at the half. At the end of the third quarter they had a ten point, 48-38, lead and won the game 63-52. At times during the game the Eagles could not buy a basket. They got easy shots in the paint, and the ball rattled around on the rim and bounced into the Doss players' hands. I don't have the stats, but I'm guessing that Doss controlled the boards by a wide margin.

In the fourth quarter, it even seemed like Doss was trying to give the game to Madison Southern, but the Eagles could never capitalize. They pulled within eight, and had three possessions in which they could have cut the lead to six. They just couldn't get over that hump, and Coach Shane Butry's players were terribly frustrated at the end.

Madison Southern had a tough player named Carrington Roberts who could work his way inside and had a nice soft touch from about 10 feet. He was unafraid of the big men in the paint. I love those kinds of players.

It was nice having visitors from the Sixth and Eleventh regions.

OBSERVATIONS

Nice P.A. Coach: I thought for a second that David Allen Coe had snuck into the gym at Bowling Green to announce the lineups for the Doss-Madison Southern game. It was actually D.G. Sherrill, who was doing double duty as the public address announcer. He may be the first P.A. announcer from Fredonia, Kentucky.

Good Genes?: I noticed that Doss has a kid named Demeatric Unseld on the team. I wonder if he's related to Wes Unseld.

Bowling Green 81 - Townsend (TN) 54

2008-12-23T08:07:00.003-06:00

Citizens First Classic, Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

Early in the season I'm frustrated by the lack of rosters and programs. I don't have the same access the "real media" has, so I have a tough time coming up with players names and a tougher time coming up with stats.

Hmmm. Townsend High School? I once camped near Townsend a couple of years ago. That may be all I can tell you about their basketball team. I hate that, and I refuse to identify players only by their numbers. I talked to one of the organizers of the Citizens First Classic about the lack of programs (the tournament had a good program last year) and he said, "When teams don't send me rosters, I can't put together a program."

Bowling Green and Townsend matched each other throughout the first half of the game. Townsend opened a listless, but the coach (I have no idea what his name is, but for the sake of this entry I'll call him "Bobby") blistered his team during an early timeout. He screamed, "Where's your fire?" People shifted in their seats a little and starting looking around at each other in a nervous sort of way. Somebody asked me, "Do you think he's gonna throw a chair?"

His tongue lashing worked? They picked up their defense and started executing their offense, and they made a run back at Bowling Green. The first quarter ended with the two teams tied at 17. My father would say, "Eight minutes in and nothing accomplished."

I noticed that the point guard for Townsend played in some sort of agonizing pain. I thought he had abdominal cramps from maybe eating too much Split Tree Barbecue before the game. Another soul speculated that he had a broken rib, and another thought maybe he had a broken rib. Who knows? The kid was in pain, but "Bobby" didn't take him out of the game. Maybe the kid was determined to play.

The two teams played even through the second quarter and looked like the half would end with the score tied at 34. Bowling Green got a late turnover but missed a layup as the time expired. However, one of the officials called a foul on Townsend, which allowed Bowling Green to take a 36-34 lead to the locker room.

A Townsend fan shouted at the referee, "No one would make that call in a thousand year." I thought it was a bad call, too, but our friendly Vol neighbors need to keep the football south of the border. It doesn't translate well onto the hardwood.

Bowling Green dominated the second half. Joe "Automatic" Gorman had the longshot working, and the entire Purples team had their transition game clicking. They kept stretching the lead by hitting baskets, layups, and playing tough defense. They held Townsend to five third quarter points while scoring 22. By the end of the quarter Townsend players' tongues were wagging.

Bowling Green continued their tough defense throughout the fourth quarter. D.J. Ray, Vic Smith, and Dominique Britt all played tight full court defense. Charlie Williams stayed active at the top of the 2-2-1 defense. Townsend didn't have a chance.

At one point, Townsend's coach pulled a kid out of the game, and when the kid got to the bench, he yelled, "You don't know what you're doing out there." He continued, but I don't feel like I have to transcribe the entire dialog.

The player's mother yelled from the stands, "Quit embarrassing my boy you..." Well, I have my standards on the Pick and Roll. She suggested that maybe he was a chasm full of donkeys. I will say this. The coach yelled at his players, perhaps to excess, but I never heard him use foul language. My wife always gets upset when she hears a coach yell at players. I always tell her, "It takes a thick skin to be an athlete." In my short and pathetic football career I thought a face mask was a handle for coaches to hold while they yelled at me.

I must point out that I've rarely heard James Haire at Elizabethtown yell at his players, and few could argue with his success.

I hate to do this to Joe Gorman, but the folks around the Fourth Region must learn to keep him from squaring up to the basket when he has the ball. Once his shoulders are square to the hoop he'll ring teams up every time. It's automatic.

Bowling Green won 81-54.

OBSERVATIONS

Whatever Happened to Pep Bands?: I know it's a Christmas tournament (refuse to use "holiday") and that bands won't be in attendance, but I miss the era of the pep bands. Even if the pep band is in the stands, they spend most of the time sitting there. Now, fans have to listen to horrible music played too loudly over the public address system. I know that youngster don't communicate verbally anymore, but some of us still use our voices and ears. I guess you can "txt mssg" through any amount of noise. I think at Bowling Green High they crank the loud music to force people out of the gym and to the concession stand. The years of travel have robbed me of good hearing, so when someone tries to talk to me over blaring music they sound like Charlie Brown's teacher. That's my crotchety old curmudgeon moment.

Frigid Cold: I don't know about everyone else, but I've had enough of the cold weather. I'm a native of South Florida, so I have thin blood. Christmas in Miami meant putting on t-shirts and cut-offs and playing football in the front yard with mi amigos, Jorge Gonzalez, Roberto DeLafia, Antonio Santana. I didn't know there was a world north of Lake Okeechobee and didn't realize it had to be cold to snow. That reality hit me when my family moved to Kentucky. Well, I can't find any good links to Cuban Christmas music, so I'll just link to Bing Crosby singing Mele Kalikimaka with the Andrews Sisters. I hope that will warm everyone.

Verbal Defense: Dominique Britt displayed some of the best "verbal defense" I've seen in a long time. He went started setting up a trap against a Townsend player and sounded as if he was barking at the kid. I laughed. I hear fans complain about trash talking and the like, but on the whole I think ballplayers -- of all sports -- are quiet these days. Heck, they're almost mute. We chattered all the time, especially playing baseball. Sometimes barking at an opponent can confuse them. THIS is for you Mr. Britt.

Elizabethtown 56 - Graves County 43

2008-12-22T07:57:00.002-06:00

Citizens First Classic, Bowing Green High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

Oh, let's see. Christmas shopping is done. The temperature was equivalent to the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR). I had tickets to WKU's ballgame and passes to the Citizens First Classic. Tough decision here. What should I do with a Sunday afternoon? BASKETBALL!

After church I spent part of the afternoon wrapping Christmas gifts. I wrapped my wife's gifts: thigh master, vacuum cleaner, frying pan, work boots, a framed photograph of me and the Hooters girls at Talladega (I had such a nice smile), and some new dish rags. Boy! She's going to be surprised when she rips into those presents. Anyway, we made our way to Diddle Arena to watch a game at 4 p.m. After the Hilltoppers woke up in the second half and put Alabama A&M away, we headed over to Bowling Green High to watch some more basketball. One game is just never enough.

I caught parts of two games, but I'll get to those later. I caught the complete game between Elizabethtown and Graves County. Now, I had to make a tough decision -- sort of like deciding between getting my wife the work boots or diamond earrings for Christmas -- because Allen County Scottsville played Madison Central in the auxillary gym at the same time. I didn't want to short change the fine folks in the Fifth Region, who are loyal readers, so I stuck with Elizabethtown.

I was stunned to see that James Haire's 2008-09 edition of the Panthers had a 1-5 record heading into this tournament and their game with the Graves County Eagles. When I looked over their schedule I noticed that they Male High, Greenwood (their only win), Adair County, Taylor County, and Grayson County. That's a pretty tough opening to a season, especially when you only have three seniors on your squad.

Coach Haire has a new player this year, a big kid named Curtis Washington, who transferred from John Hardin. I don't have any rosters or programs, so I'm taking a stab at this: He looks like he's about 6'8" with a B-52 style wingspan.

On the other hand, Graves County rolled into the game with five seniors, led by Cassidy McAlpin, and a 5-1 record. Their only loss was to Massac, Illinois, at the Marshall County Hoopfest earlier in December.

Both teams opened the game cold, and the small crowd only added to the lethargic nature of the play. I sat and wondered what was going on between the two unbeaten teams playing in the other gym. Graves County had a 10-8 lead on E-town at the end of the first quarter.

The Panthers picked up their defense in the second quarter and held Graves County to just five points. E-town threw a tricky little 2-1-2 zone defense with Washington in the middle at the Eagles, but Coach Haire never settles on just one defense. It seemed like they switched defenses on every possession. Graves County sleepwalked through the second frame. I was impressed with Cassidy McAlpin for the Eagles. He has good post moves and was the only guy for Graves County who played like he wanted to win a ballgame.

In the second quarter, Curtis Washington took a 14 foot jumpshot. Play stopped and the gym was quiet. Coach Haire got the attention of his big man and shouted, "Don't do it again!" The admonished young man shook his head with an unspoken "Yes, sir." I got a laugh out of that.

E-town took a 22-15 lead to the locker room.

The third quarter was nearly all Elizabethtown. The entire team played better defense, and point guard Jack Goblirsh picked up his game. I liked his tenacity, but the officials were not happy with him for some reason. I suspect his mouth had him in trouble. I don't mean anything bad by that because if I were choosing-up sides off that squad, Jack would be the first kid I'd take.

The Panthers held a 39-26 lead heading into the final frame.

Graves County finally picked up their game late in the fourth quarter. Senior guard, Tevin Hill found his game and started attacking Elizabethtown's defense. Late in the game, Hill hit the front end of a pair of free throws but missed the second attempt. He got his own rebound, put the ball up and in, and was also fouled. He hit the free throw and had his Eagles to within eight points, 49-41. Graves County could only muster two more points, while the Panthers scored seven more.

The Panthers notched their second victory on the season, and Terry Birdsong's squad left the court wondering what the heck happened out there. Graves County should figure into the mix in the First Region. They have a good team, but they have to find some inner intensity to beat teams like Elizabethtown, which has played at a very high level for the entire early season.

OTHER GAMES:

Bowling Green 92 - North Hardin Christian 52: I walked into this game at halftime and saw that the Purples were up by 37 points. I looked at the other team's uniforms, and all I could see was "North Hardin." I thought, "Man alive. The Purples are putting this kind of beatdown on a Ron Bevars squad?" I looked for Coach Bevars, who I figured would have peeled the purple paint from Bowling Green's auxillary gym. Then, I realized it was North Hardin CHRISTIAN. I don't have much to say about this game except that I shared a bag of Purpcorn with my little boy.

Allen County-Scottsville 74 - Madison Central 72 (OT): This is the game I DIDN'T attend to see Elizabethtown play. I figured that I'll see Allen County play several times this season, blah, blah, blah. O.K. I was kicking myself for missing this ballgame. These two teams are for real and both were undefeated prior to Sunday night. I wish I had more to say about it. I saw the end of regulation and the overtime. All of it was exciting, and I'm glad to see that the Fourth Region team walked away with the victory.

In the preseason, all the local sports pundits were asked to rank the best teams in the Fourth Region. I don't remember anyone, including myself, mentioning Allen County-Scottsville. Now, that I've seen the Patriots, I want to revise any predictions I made. They are good, athletic, and play with serious intensity. They are now 8-0 and have dispatched, Franklin-Simpson, Greenwood, Warren East, Barren County, and now Madison Central on their way to an undefeated record.

OBSERVATIONS:

Purples Going Green?: I guess to conserve energy, Bowling Green High School is not using several lights in the auxillary gym. With the lacking lighting and the Purple walls I felt like Ronnie Milsap walking into that place. Hey, Coach Sherrill! I know you are a proponent of energy independence, but this is taking it to extreme.

Grew in Da'House!: It was good to see Steffphon Pettigrew cheering on his alma mater on Sunday night. He had fellow Hilltoppers Orlando Mendez-Valdez and Mike Walker in his posse.

Children of Kentucky: My wife puts out a toy Nativity scene on a table beside our Christmas tree every year. Earlier in the day I found my daughter and son playing with the figures from that set. I asked them what they were playing, expecting a religious themed game, and they answered, "Basketball." So, I looked at the table, and I think they had the wise men and shepherds in a 2-2-1 full court press. It looked like they had the baby Jesus playing the post on offense, so I suggested that they move him to point guard. I figured he would know where everyone was on the court. They also had an old dry erase board from my office (I work at home) and were drawing up plays. One looked like an impossible five man weave. I put it on paper and faxed it to Darrin Horn down in South Carolina.

Bowling Green 51 - Franklin-Simpson 49

2008-12-19T21:33:00.002-06:00

Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

It started out looking like a very long night for the Bowling Green Purples. Franklin-Simpson opened the game with a sticky defense that forced the Purples into turnovers and forced shots and generally sloppy play. The Wildcats were up 9-0 just two and a half minutes into the game, and they eventually expanded the lead to to two touchdowns -- 14-0. Finally, Joe Gorman broke the ice for the Purps with a three pointer, and Bowling Green played their way back into the game before the end of the first quarter. After holding a 14 point lead, Franklin found themselves clinging to a 20-12.

In the second quarter Bowling Green used its defense to outplay the Wildcats. The forced Franklin into a series of bad possessions that included a 10 second call, a five second call, and turnovers on bad passes. Bowling Green's press is not smothering, but it is constant. It frustrated Franklin throughout the ballgame, and if you throw out the first five minutes of this game, the Purples outplayed their opponent through the remainder of the contest.

Bowling Green outscored Franklin 19-14 in the second frame to cut the lead to three at 34-31.

The Purples held F-S to just nine points in the third quarter, but they could only muster 10 points themselves. They opened nearly as ice cold as they opened the ballgame. They seemed to be stuck on 31, but by the end of the frame the hosts were behind by only two points, 43-41.

Franklin-Simpson looked tired in the fourth quarter, and I think that is directly attributable to the effectiveness of Bowling Green's nearly constant pressure. Again, the Purples' defenders pressed after turnovers and missed shots, and they did it a lot better than they did against Glasgow a week ago. Franklin didn't get any cheap baskets like the Scotties did.

Bowling Green didn't get their first lead in this game until 1:02 left in the contest, when they hit a layup to make it 49-47. Franklin tied the ballgame with just a few seconds on the clock, but the Purples got the ball back up the court in a hurry. They moved the ball around an active and seemingly desperate Wildcat defense. I thought they made one pass too many, but they scooped the ball into D.J. Ray, who was low on the blocks. Ray released the ball on a "gimme" layup just before the time expired and the ball bounced through the hoop. The home team won 51-49. It was an exciting end to otherwise ugly game.

OBSERVATIONS

Chip and Dale: I used to laugh at the "Chip and Dale" cartoons when they were so polite to one another that they couldn't get anything done. For awhile on Friday night I thought that Bowling Green and Franklin-Simpson were trying to give each other the ballgame like Chip and Dale. Neither team seemed to want to win it. One side threw the ball out-of-bounds and the other obliged with a turnover.

Poncho Wright Award: Eric Smith shoots rainbow jump shots from a kind of funny looking release. I've heard people call this type of shot a "rainmaker" because it knocks moisture out of the clouds. Back during the Doctors of Dunk era at Louisville they had a player named Poncho Wright, who could shoot the ball with the best. Poncho had a high-arching, rainmaker jump shot and was deadly from the corner. I've always said that it's too bad Poncho played prior to the three-point shot in college basketball. Eric Smith's shots remind me of Wright's. Eric even has a high arc on his free-throws.

Courtney Dalcourt Watch: He's the best athlete in this part of the state. He's better football player than basketball player, but his athletic ability is unmatched. He's big and fast and strong. I've lost track of who is recruiting him for football, but my guess is that a 1-AA program is going to make a steal. I may be his biggest fan.

Glasgow 75 - Bowling Green 74

2008-12-12T21:02:00.003-06:00

Glasgow High School, Glasgow, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

Man! It feels good to be back in the saddle. After a weekend of pressing the couch watching Lonesome Dove while trying to shake the mother of all colds, I was pretty ramped up to be headed to a high school basketball game. It was a beautiful drive under a huge full moon on my way to Glasgow. The moon was so bright that I believe I could have made the drive without using the truck's headlights.

I had no idea what to expect out of this game. Glasgow is re-tooled with former UofL player, Jeff Hall, as head coach, and his son Cameron Hall is also on the squad. Bowling Green lost players like D.L. Moore and Jared Carpenter, but D.G. Sherrill has opened up his offense this season with an emphasis on perimeter play. The only thing I knew is that it would be different from a Glasgow-Bowling Green from last season.

The Fourth Region better beware of this pack of dogs in Glasgow. Think of President Bush's dog Barney's recent behavior when you think of this year's edition of these snippy little terriers. I'm not trying to make a case that the Scotties are going to win the Fourth Region, but they will figure into the final outcome of the standings. Last season Glasgow finished with a mediocre 16-13 record and was sub .500 in the region. They made it to the regional tournament but got bounced in the first round by Russell County.

I was unable to track down the scoring tonight, but Cameron Hall, who is a 6'1" junior, will emerge as the best shooter in the Fourth Region this year. He can shoot from nearly anywhere on the court and has a nose for the basket when he needs to drive into the lane. Matched with the shooting of Craig Mosier, the Scotties will bite more than just Rueters reporters in January and February.

I have to admit that I arrived late to the ballgame. It's hard for me to make it to games that start at 6:00 p.m., especially when they are in another city. Last season I promised Ricky Mudd that I would make a game at Glasgow, and I never did, so I decided to kick this Pick and Roll season off with a visit to the Dog Pound. I got to see a good game.

The Purples are going to press a lot this season. They have a sweet 2-2-1 zone press that works well when the players committ to making it work. They also like to press after missed shots and even turnovers. Bowling Green has one major flaw when they press after missed baskets: no one gets back on defense. They gave up too many easy baskets to Glasgow. It cost them the ballgame.

Bowling Green's Joe Gorman didn't see a lot of playing time last season, but he was on the court a lot on Friday night. The kid can flat out shoot three point shots. He cannot be left open if he's along the arc between the baseline and the free throw line. He's nearly automatic from out there, and he nailed some key shots in the first half.

The game was knotted at 31 at halftime.

Astraddle halftime was a devestating run by the Scotties. With just a few minutes left in the second quarter Bowling Green had a 28-20 lead on the home team. An 11-3 run by Glasgow tied it, but the Scotties continued their run after halftime. They stretched it to a 20-5 run and had a 40-33 lead in the third. By the end of the quarter, the Purples had closed within three -- 56-53.

Bowling Green made a gutsy run in the fourth quarter and actually outscored Glasgow 21-19 in the final frame. It wasn't enough. Plus, the Purples missed critical free throws down the stretch. They had two opportunities to tie the ballgame with just a few seconds left, but two different players -- Eric Smith and Tevin Barksdale -- missed sets of double bonus free throws. It was a killer, and the Scotties take a big win on their home court.

Glasgow's run on either side of halftime is what killed Bowling Green.

OBSERVATIONS

Welcome Back: Everyone should welcome Jeff Hall back to the Fourth Region. A lot of people are going to pull the welcome mat in after they see how well his boy can shoot the basketball. No amount of pressure will stop him. He could shoot the ball with a piece of plywood held up in front of his face. I'm guessing that Cameron Hall will get the Fourth Region's "Newcomer of the Year" award, and the Scotties will be the most improved team from last year.

Brian Asberry Welcoming Committee Chairman?: When I was a senior in high school in 1984 a friend of mine and my brother's had just graduated from WKU. He was working for the Courier-Journal and invited me to go with him to the Louisville-Western game at Freedom Hall. He had some really good seats that put us just a few rows from the court. We both wore red hooded sweatshirts that had massive block letters reading W.K.U. on the fronts. At some point in the game Western's Brian Asberry, always one of the Hilltopper's enforcers, took exception to Jeff Hall's defense and maybe his mouth. I don't know. As Asberry trotted up the court he delivered a vicious forearm shivver to Hall's face. Hall crumpled to the court near the jump circle while the Louisville faithful went wild with anger. For a few moments I thought I was going to die at the hands of irate Cardinals fans. They were looking to express their grievance with Mr. Asberry to anyone wearing WKU clothing.

To any UofL fans that might remember yelling at me I want to inform you that what you all collectively suggested to us is physically impossible to do. The Cardinals won that game, but it didn't turn out too well for the little red birds from Louisville this season. So! Right back at ya, Louisville fans!

Good to be Back: I tried to write about some football this year, but it didn't work out. I love high school football, but my family are fair weather friends. If I go to football games, I usually have to go alone, especially after it turns cool. I travel a lot during the week, so I was spending too much time away from my family. Although they didn't go tonight, I usually have no trouble getting the wife and kids to go to a basketball game. They love the hoops.

Please post comments. If you think I'm wrong about something, call me on it. I'm a big boy, so you're not going to hurt my feelings, and there is no way I can see everything correctly from the stands. Remember. I'm not a reporter. I'm just a fan with a computer and some time on my hands. I hope everyone enjoys Season II of the Pennyrile Pick and Roll.

The Busy and the Sickly

2008-12-08T15:46:00.002-06:00

I want to apologize to the Pick and Roll faithful and any new readers combing through this blog. I intended to go to a couple of games this past weekend, but a really bad chest cold set in on me keeping me out of the gymnasiums. I've also been on the road for work a lot, so I haven't been to any games. I'm planning to get back on the horse this week, though.

One of the problems I have is that my own kids are starting to play basketball. I have to haul them to practices. I just don't understand where they get their passion for basketball.

I'm still at it, so don't think this blog is dead. It's just struggling along right now.

Bowling Green 49 - Franklin-Simpson 34

2008-10-04T07:37:00.002-05:00

By J. Trace Kirkwood

Two very gutsy teams put every physical ability they had on the field at El Donaldson Stadium in Bowling Green, Kentucky, last night. The visiting Wildcats rolled up U.S. 31-W with a team full of athletes that includes two of the best in the state with Courtney Dalcourt and Patrick Flippin. Bowling Green stood its ground with one of the strongest back field runners I've seen at the high school level with Tevin Barksdale.

I was excited because Frankin-Simpson had the attitude that they didn't care that Louisville Trinity is the only team to beat Bowling Green at home in the past several years. They took the field to win the game and not cower at the Purples' tradition. The Wildcats did what any good street fighter has to do to win a well-matched fight: come out and pop the big guy right in the nose and hope that he doesn't get mad enough to kill you.

Franklin's Hayden Williams picked off a J.P. Jackson pass about three-and-a-half minutes into the game in Bowling Green territory. Courtney Dalcourt found Brandon Kinnaird with a touchdown pass, and the Wildcats took a quick 7-0 lead on the Purples.

The Wildcats had an opportunity to take a two touchdown lead, but their drive fizzled in the worst sort of way late in the quarter. I won't "if" things because football is filled with important plays, ones where the momentum of the game shifts. Late in the first, Bowling Green seemed surprised by Franklin's tenacity and possibly with Dalcourt's superb athletic ability. Everything seemed to be going for the Wildcats. Dalcourt connected on a downfield pass that would've netted a first down with Franklin heading into the Purples' end of the field. However, a holding call brought the ball back. Instead of it being first and ten near the 50 (I can't remember where the play had ended, and I apologize) their next play started deep in their own territory with a 2nd down and 20.

The Wildcats couldn't get the first down.

Bowling Green got the ball back and finished the first quarter with a touchdown pass from Jackson to Zack Williams.

I have no way of knowing if the holding call ended a Franklin-Simpson drive and touchdown, after all, the Wildcats had two more downs to get a fresh set of downs. I just feel like if they punched another touchdown on the Purples and made it 14-0, they would've had a pretty good shot at winning the ballgame.

That's the beauty of football, though. In basketball it's hard to measure what a foul or a lost ball does to a team, but in football the mistake is measured out in one yard hash marks. After a penalty, when the referee puts the ball down on the grass, the fans can see "we are here and we could've been there."

It was tied at 7 at the end of the first.

Each team scored a touchdown in the second quarter. Bowling Green's Tevin Barksdale made one of the most impressive touchdown runs I've seen with a spinning, tackle breaking 48 yard rumble into the endzone. Barksdale showed everyting a running back needs to be good in that run. He showed agility by avoiding tackles and his own blockers by spinning like a springtime cyclone. He showed strength by busting through tackles. He showed speed by flying through Franklin's backfield.

Franklin's defense probably felt a little like a trailer park in April after that run.

The Wildcats didn't back down. That's why I like Tim Schlosser's team so much. They answered with a drive and touchdown with 4:50 left in the half. The teams went to halftime tied at 14 a piece.

Bowling Green opened the second half with a 24 yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Barksdale. The Wildcats blocked the point after attempt, and for awhile I thought it might prove critical to the game. That left the door open for Franklin to take a lead possibly win a close game. And, Franklin responded with a touchdown and a point after to take the lead 21-20 with 4:37 left in the third quarter.

Their lead was short lived because Bowling Green answered with at touchdown at the 1:53 mark in the quarter. The Purples opted for a the two-point conversion. Jackson dropped back and made a short pass into the endzone where a gang of Purples and Wildcats were clustered in line with the right hashmarks. I couldn't count how many times the ball was tipped, but it ended up in the hands of Tevin Barksdale. The Purps slammed shut the door the blocked extra point left open.

The Purples' first possession of the final quarter featured a long drive and a J.P. Jackson keeper into the endzone. Jackson did a superb job of faking a hand-off. I bought it. The Wildcat defenders bought it. I was convinced he handed the ball off to Barksdale, and I think for a split second J.P. Jackson was the only person in Donaldson Stadium that knew he had the ball.

Bowling Green was up 35-21.

Franklin-Simpson looked tired. That's what the big lineman for Bowling Green does to teams. They wear them down. Even though the Wildcats looked fatigued, they managed to score two more touchdowns in the fourth, but the Purples scored two more. The game ended in an absolute scoring frenzy.

Here's what I took from this game: If Courtney Dalcourt ends up at a 1-AA football program, that lucky school will have the steal of the decade. As a Hilltopper fan, I'd love to see this kid wearing red and gray next season. the guy is a heck of an athlete, and he is among the best football players in the state.

Franklin-Simpson is the most dangerous .500 football team in the Commonwealth. They won't be .500 for long, and should finish the season 6-4. Sorry, Coach Schlosser, the Wildcats are good, but I don't see them beating Fort Campbell on the road. The Wildcats are off next week then they paly three at home before heading to The Fort.

Tip to Coach Schlosser: When you play Fort Campbell, stay out of Oak Grove, unless you have a post game steak at Charlie's. There are rites-of-passage available in Oak Grove, but for young football players a steak at Charlie's is the only one they need to experience.

Also, Tevin Barksdale can run the ball late in the game with four or five guys on his back. He had a run in the fourth quarter and carried three Franklin defenders five yards. I'd hate to have to try and tackle him in the open field.

OBSERVATIONS

Doctor, Doctor: Apparently, in order to be eligible for Homecoming Queen at BGHS, you have to be the daughter of a local doctor. Th elist of last names for the candidates and their escorts are all the ones my insurance company has paid. For a minute I thought I was listening to pages at the Medical Center.

Throw Backs?: Bowling Green's cheerleaders celebrated Homecoming by climbing into an attic at the school and dragging out old uniforms. It was a nice touch. I did notice that none of them wore the long sleeve sweaters, knee socks, longer skirts, and carried gigantic pompoms like they did back in my day. It wasn't so much of a "throw back" as a "toss back." Wait! Toss back? That's a whole 'nother subject.

National Geographic Moment: The stadium lights attracted some of the most impressively large grasshoppers I've seen outside of National Geographic photos from Africa. One kid crushed one in front of me, and it sounded like he crushed a bag of potato chips.

ESPN: I guess they broadcasted last night's game in Bowling Green. There were cameras there, and the one in the north endzone was up in one of the most precarious looking contraptions. I can't even describe it, but they would have to pay me hazardous duty pay to ascend in that thing.

Bowling Green 59 - Greenwood 7

2008-09-20T06:30:00.002-05:00

By J. Trace Kirkwood

Greenwood's Hunter Thompson should consider this subject for an English essay: Fear and Loathing at El Donaldson Stadium. The Gators have never won at Bowling Green's home field. Heck, I don't think they've ever beaten the Purples on any football field.

When the Hell's Angels discovered that gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson, who was a native of Louisville and an alumnus of Male High School, might profit from writing an article about them, they beat him nearly to death. I'm not trying to say that the Bowling Green football team is the Hell's Angel's, but they keep putting a good beating on their crosstown rival Greenwood. They beat the Gators 56-0 last season, and this game seemed to be headed that same direction.

On the second play of the game Bowling Green's J.P. Jackson connected with Lavance Anderson for a 78 yard catch and run touchdown pass. Less than a minute later Jay Beard blocked a Greenwood punt, which resulted in a touchdown, and the Gators found themselves on the short end of a 14-0 score.

The Gators stopped a Bowling Green from scoring a touchdown only once in the first quarter. Then, the Purples had to settle for a Max Oldham field goal. Tevin Barksdale scored a touchdown with 53 seconds left in the quarter, and as time expired Tyreon Clark intercepted the ball and ran it back for a touchdown.

At the end of the first quarter, Greenwood was in a 31-0 hole.

Bowling Green slowed down a bit in the second quarter. Instead of scoring touchdowns at a frenzied pace, they scored only one in the quarter and took a 38-0 lead into the break.

In the locker room Hunter Thompson probably pondered writing Bowling Green Purples: The Strange and Terrible Saga of a Really Good Football Team. At halftime, I pondered why I came to this game instead going to see a game with two teams in Scottsville.

The second half was more of the same, although Bowling Green only mustered three touchdowns in the half.

Greenwood did sneak in a score with 1:09 left in the contest, but Tevin Barksdale took the Gators' kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. It was Greenwood's The Curse of Lono condensed into Barksdale's hundred yard dash -- give or take a few yards.

Hunter! The football season is NOT over.

OBSERVATIONS

To The Max: I hope some colleges -- especially my alma mater -- are after Max Oldham. The kid can flat out kick a football. He kicks it out of the back of the endzone on kickoffs, and the one field goal he had split the uprights. He's very good.

Who Let the Dogs Out?: Uh, ahem. I'm not sure if I can come up with a tactful way of putting this. I always laugh when I see cheerleaders and dance teams dance to this song. I won't include a link, but people should consider the lyrics of a song before they use them. Trust me, I'm not offended by this because I'm not easily offended, but it's humorous when people don't really listen to what a song is saying. I think I've written about a funny thing at Male High School when I was a student there many moons ago. Our cheerleaders had a catchy cheer that went "WE ARE MALE BULLDOGS!" I've never thought self-deprecation worked for cheerleaders.

Dear Old High School: It's sort of strange for a Male High alumnus to watch a Bowling Green game. The purple and gold. The letter "H." It's all very familiar. There's also the familiarity of winning a lot of games and going deep into the playoffs only to watch someone else carry off the big trophy.

Warren East 36 - Bardstown 35

2008-09-13T07:23:00.002-05:00

By J. Trace Kirkwood

The last time I saw a football game at Warren East was in the fall of 1984 when I went to their Homecoming with a recent alumnus who was my friend at WKU. It was somewhat of a culture shock for me because I was just weeks from having spent most of my time and life in Louisville. That's the first night I met my friend's sister, who was wickedly beautiful and also shot-down in the Homecoming Queen voting. I have to admit that I questioned the judgment of Warren East students when I met her because my friend had already told me she lost the voting.

I also remember that they played "Cow Chip Bingo" at some point during the night. Remember folks, I grew up in Louisville, and I went to a downtown school. The closest cattle to Male High School were breathing their last breaths at the Bourbon Stock Yards and Fischer's Meat Packing. I don't remember the details because I probably opted to watch my friend's sister rather than a cow standing on a football field about to have a bowel movement. The choice, well, seemed obvious.

Fast forward 24 years to Friday night in Bristow, Kentucky. I can't attest for the tastes of the Warren East student body, but I do know that Raider football team is much improved from 24 seasons ago. They play hard. Coach Ben Bruni gets the most out of his players, and they never give up. Never!

Bruni is armed with superb athletes like Shenard Holton, who is one of the best athletes in the state and runs like whirling top through defensive backfields. He also plays defense and pops players like an angry steer (I guess my memories of Warren East has left me with images of cows, which is kind of surprising to me). Antonious "Fuzz" Owens plays on both sides of the ball and can move his 205 pound frame in ways that don't seem humanly possible. On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Jeremy Werner pursues and destroys quarterbacks and running backs.

I anticipated a good game because East and Bardstown tangled to a 27-20 game last season with the Raiders prevailing. It was even better this season.

I could waste words describing how Shenard Holton and Fuzz Owens made impressive runs and catches to score touchdowns and how Bardstown answered back with their own touchdowns. I could do the same and describe how the Tigers ended up with a 21-14 lead at halftime.

Neither team was ever in control of the game. One of the things I love about high school football is how quickly the momentum shifts back-and-forth when two good teams are on the field. That was the case Friday night at Warren East.

The only time I thought a team might have control of the game was when Bardstown took a 35-22 lead in the fourth quarter and the Raider defense looked tired. They never looked defeated, though, and that's what counts.

After Bardstown took the commanding 13 point lead with 6:16 left in the game Warren East dug down deep and found a way to put together a quick drive. Fuzz Owens scored with 5:02 left and put the Raiders within touchdown of the visitors. I think the East fans felt a sense of hopelessness when the Raiders failed on the two point conversion.

East's defense impressed me at this point in the game. They looked tired. They played tired. Heck, they were tired. Instead of giving up they found a way to stuff the Tigers' offense, which had easily marched down the field on their previous possession. They backed Bardstown up to the one yard line, and the Tigers' punter kicked the ball from the back of the end zone to the his own 26 yard line.

Warren East took over with 2:46 left in the game. East quickly moved the ball to the goal line, but had some trouble getting through the Bardstown defensive line to score. It worked to their advantage. With 30 seconds left, Holton rushed the short yardage for the touchdown. East converted for two points and took a 36-35 lead.

Bardstown had one last chance, but I decided that their quarterback couldn't throw the ball down the field very well. They kept trying these short dump and run plays that got them nothing with a determined East defense.

The Raiders win in Cardiac Kids fashion.

That's two great football games in as many weeks. This is great!

OBSERVATIONS

Duck Footed Tigers: Some of Bardstown's players wore gold colored cleats. It made them look like they had duck feet. I wonder if they know it looks funny.

Why?: Why do football scoreboards have tenths of seconds these days. I've been watching football since I was a curtain climber when Earl Morrall played for the Miami Dolphins, and I've never seen a split second matter a whole lot at the end of a football game (in terms of on the clock). After all, the clock doesn't end a play until the ball is dead. It's a game of inches, not seconds.

Friendliest People: Warren East fans and staff are some of the friendliest. When I got my ticket and went through the gate, three people thanked me for coming to the game. After the game, I wanted to thank them for such a good show. So, if any of you are reading, THANKS!

Cow Chip Bingo Redux: I lost the cow chip bingo contest that night so long ago. I seem to remember that the cow wouldn't...well...nevermind, so they drew the numbers. I would've had the prize if the cow made the decision. It makes me wonder: How much Ex-lax would it take to make a difference for a cow?

Homecoming Queen Redux: What the heck were you people thinking?!

A Team to Watch: Watch out for the Graves County Eagles. They are 3-0 and have beaten Tilghman and Marshall County. They tangle with Mayfield next week.

The Pigskin Classic, Franklin, Kentucky

2008-09-07T11:33:00.004-05:00

By J. Trace Kirkwood

They're not talkin' pork rinds.

In Franklin, Kentucky, pigskin talk means football, and this year they put together a couple of nice football games for the folks of Simpson County to enjoy. It's a great deal, too. I paid six bucks to see two high school football games, and the concessions are great and reasonably priced. Next September, if a family is looking for a great way to spend a beautiful September Saturday night, I recommend that they point their cars down U.S. 31-W and find their way to James "Shadetree" Matthews Stadium, which is near the end of College Street and take in the Pigskin Bowl.

Game 1: Russellville 36 - Barren County 21

The Panthers from Russellville were smarting after Franklin-Simpson laid a 47-15 shellacking on them at Rhea Stadium a week earlier. It didn't look good for Russellville at first. Barren County scored first and quickly and seemed to have the momentum early in the game. A defensive lapse left a Barren County player wide open and the quarterback nailed him with a pass. I apologize for not having players' names, but I had just walked into the stadium when Barren County scored.

The Trojans seemed in control and had a their one touchdown lead at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Russellville found their momentum that seemed lost in their nightmare game against Franklin-Simpson last week. Fifty-nine seconds into the second quarter quarterback D.J. Quarles played a nice fake and rambled 26 yards for a touchdown to tie the game. Then, with 3:43 left in the half Quarles connected with Zach Smith for a 64 yard touchdown pass to put the Panthers ahead 14-7. Momentum loves to switch sides in football, and Russellville was riding high after the second touchdown.

Barren County committed one of the mortal sins of football by fumbling the ball with just 1:33 left in the first half. The Panthers, bolstered by Smith's catch and scramble touchdown seemed to be in control of the game, and a late half touchdown would have put them in complete control. Russellville was on their way to a touchdown but fumbled the ball with 1.1 seconds left on the clock and deep in Trojan territory.

Barren County dodged a deadly bullet.

Russellville controlled the third quarter, though. Damien Elam, who was the game's MVP, was everywhere. First of all, he plays on both sides of the ball and plays them well. Elam is only a sophomore but plays the defensive backfield like a pro. He anticipates ball movement well and made several tackles by coming all the way across the field and knocking the blocks off of the Barren County rushers. I had little doubt he would be the MVP. He was certainly going to get the Pick and Roll (aka Hook and Ladder) MVP award for the game.

Elam also caught a 27 yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.

Russellville had a commanding lead at the end of three: 29-7 after a 73 touchdown run.

Barren County mounted a good fourth quarter rally with two touchdowns, but the game was out of reach. The drama in the fourth quarter was that the last seven or eight minutes was played with a blacked out scoreboard. Fans were clueless about the amount of time left in the game. Finally, as the two teams were about to lineup, the officials blew their whistles and the game was over. It reminded me of playing sandlot football as a kid back in Louisville. When it was time for one of our Catholic families to have supper, our games ended. We sometimes stopped in the middle of a play. All of our players were off to supper.

Russellville won 36-21 and evened their season at 1-1.

Game 2: Daviess County 25 - Franklin-Simpson 20

This is the best high school football game I've seen in a long time. I've only made it to Bowling Green games in the past couple of season, and they pounded their opponents in those games. The Purples can beat everybody except for teams north of Elizabethtown.

Franklin-Simpson was coming off their pasting of the Panthers in Russellville last week and were ranked 7th in 3A football. Daviess County upended Evansville Harrison in the Border Classic in Owensboro last week, and the Panthers were ranked 10th in 6A ball.

This is the game I was there to see. I knew the Wildcats were good after watching them put the smack down on Russellville a week before, and I knew that Courtney Dalcourt and Patrick Flippin would prove to a handful for Daviess County. My brother-in-law, who is from Hancock County, is friends with Daviess County Coach Marcus Kimbrell, so that is another reason we decide to take in the Pigskin Classic.

Franklin-Simpson drew first blood in the game when Courtney Dalcourt, who is one of the best athletes in the state this season, turned prime Daviess County pass coverage into a touchdown when he hustled into the endzone with 10:19 to play.

I really knew nothing about Daviess County. The last time they had a real good season was when I was listening to "Men at Work" cassette tapes, wearing peg-leg jeans and Cheeno shirts, and mullets were actually in style.

The Panthers are led by quarterback Cole Lanham, who is a left handed kid who settles into the pocket and zips perfect spirals right into the numbers of his receivers. He can also scramble and rush very well. One of his favorite targets is Joey "Kosmo" Kramer (I made up that nickname, but I did scan their roster for a kid named Costanza). Kramer is unafraid to raise up his arms and catch high thrown balls in the middle of the field. When I was a kid we called these "hospital catches."

I noticed that Lanham also had a target named Chad McCain. Everyone! Please! Let's keep this kid out of Florida on the first Tuesday in November. I thought it was funny that a lefty was willing to throw the ball to a kid named "McCain." I also wondered if it takes a 42 year old woman from Alaska to keep him in the ballgame.

Lanham linked up with Kramer at the 9:09 mark in the first quarter to tie the score. This is when I first sensed that we were going to be witness to a great football game. The quarter ended with the score 7-7.

The two teams matched each other in the second quarter. Neither team could score. Well, without sounding too corny, it was a cat fight.

I hope I have the kid's name right. I think it was Hayden Williams for Franklin-Simpson got tangled up in a crazy Daviess County interception play that ended up with the Wildcats regaining possession after Dylan Clark fumbled the ball. Williams was injured and EMT's had to remove him from the field. Let's hope the kid is alright.

Courtney Dalcourt faked a hand-off and rumbled for 60+ yards for a touchdown, giving his Wildcats a tough earned 14-7 lead. Daviess County answered when Dylan Millay, an incredibly fast runner, scrambled for a touchdown. The Panthers missed the extra-point, so Franklin-Simpson held onto their 14-13 lead, which was the score at halftime.

I thought that the missed PAT could really hurt Daviess County in this game. It was shaping up to a be a close, hard-fought game.

Daviess County opened the second half with an effective drive for a touchdown to take a 19-14 lead. The Panthers did a good job containing Dalcourt and Flippin the third quarter. They bottled both of them up at the line and kept them from getting lose in their backfield. Both are good enough athletes to wreak havoc on defensive backs. I really felt like Daviess County's defense was the key to winning the ballgame. It really says something for them to be able to clog up a guy like Courtney Dalcourt.

The third quarter ended with the score 19-14 in favor of the visitors.

After sacking Dalcourt for a big loss on third down, the Panthers got the ball and scored with 8:43 left in the game. Millay ran a spinning and tackle breaking 21 yards to give Daviess County a 25-14 lead. The Panthers missed the two point conversion.

A chain of events unfolded that only happen in big, exciting games. The contest had the feel of a playoff game.

With 6:39 left in the game, Daviess County intercepted a Dalcourt pass, but they could not capitalize on the turnover. They had to punt, but the punter -- Lanham -- shanked the punt off his shin, and the Wildcats took over on the Daviess County 30 yard line. Twenty seconds later, Dalcourt found Jerrell Wickware in the end zone. They missed the PAT, and the score was 25-20.

Daviess County needed to run out the clock, but they had the worst possession of the game when they needed one of their best. They punted the ball away and Wickware had a great return to the DC's 24 yard line. On fourth down, Daviess County committed pass interference, which gave the Wildcats a fresh set of downs with little time left on the clock.

Dalcourt threw to the back of the end zone on first down, and Daviess County was able to run out the clock.

"County" took home the victory in a great contest. Well worth the six dollars to get in.

OBSERVATIONS

What It Really Means: At halftime of the Russellville-Barren County game, the Russellville Panthers walked out into one of the fields behind Matthews Stadium and knelt down and listened to their coaches. They took shelter in the shade of a big oak tree. A coach or a booster drove a pickup truck out there with jugs of Gatorade on the tailgate. The sun was setting behind that oak tree. It was a great scene. My Louisville friends don't get to see scenes like this up there, but, to me, it's a great piece of Americana to see high school football players spending halftime going over plays in the middle of what could've been a pasture.

Concessions Confessions: I love concession stands at football games. I don't know why, but food at football games is so much better than basketball games. At Franklin, they cook all their food on a this gigantic grill, and all that smoke of those different food gets all mixed up and adds flavor to everything. Plus, $10 will buy all the food you care to eat at "The Shadetree." The ladies at the concession stand are sweeter than west Kentucky tea, too. I might be at every Wildcat home game this season. Heck, I might buy one of those houses on College Street along with a football season ticket.

They Didn't Kill Kenny: Everybody in Franklin knows and loves Kenny Perry. They don't care that he ducked the British Open. I also think that it must be a town or county ordinance that Kenny plays a round of golf with everybody down there. I've not spoken to a single golfer down there who hasn't played a round with him.

Between the Hedges: Franklin-Simpson has a hedge of boxwoods on both sides of the football field. I started looking for UGA VII along the sideline. It's a great place to watch a football game. Did I mention the concession stand?

Name Game

Future Member of U2: Jacob Edge (Daviess County)

Future BMW Dealer: Beamer Barron (Daviess County)

Future Basketball Referee: Gage Hacker (Daviess County)

Future Horse Trainer: Tyler Furlong (Barren County)

Candle Makers in the Making: Jerrell and Darius Wickware

Franklin-Simpson 47 - Russellville 15

2008-08-29T21:49:00.004-05:00

By J. Trace Kirkwood

I want to clear up some old and new business before I head into my astute analysis of the football game in Russellville on Friday night. First, take note that my name now appears above the story. A loyal reader pointed out to me that maybe I was hiding my identity from fans, coaches, and players by not putting my name on the stories. I never thought of it that way. They said, "Chris Gregory puts his name on the stories, but you don't. Are you scared?"

There's no yellow stripe on me, and I never intended to shelter my identity from the savvy and intelligent readers of the Pennyrile Pick and Roll. I didn't want the website to be about me, unless I could share something funny or stupid about myself. There's plenty of material to draw from the latter.

Secondly, the Pennyrile Pick and Roll will be loosely known as the Pennyrile Hook and Ladder during the football season. I won't change the banner, but I will be covering some football games this fall.

Finally, my little boy is a Pick and Roll correspondent in the making. I told him he was a skunk tonight because he was being disobedient. He very seriously and with a straight face told me, "I spanked a skunk right on his behind one time, and he didn't even spray me." It was an absolute and complete fabrication, but he told it like it was true. He never recanted his story, either. He's got the skill set to be either a politician or a Pick and Roll writer.

I'm afraid to write too much about the Russellville game because I'm writing a story for High School Zone Magazine about Russellville's stadium and team. There's a good reason for that. When I write for HSZ, I make a little money. When I write stuff for Pick and Roll, well, I generally lose money.

Normally, when I've been to a game at an old stadium like Rhea Stadium in Russellville, I'd go on ad infinitum about the architecture and the atmosphere of the old place because I love old stadiums and gymnasiums. I'm not going to that here because I don't want the publisher of the magazine to phone me and call me bad names. Mostly, I want the checks to clear the bank.

I will say this. When the stadium lights took over after sunset, they were a beacon to every flying, jumping, and crawling bug in Logan County. I was raised up on the edge of the Everglades and swatted fewer bugs on a summer evening. I don't mean anything bad about the stadium because it's a problem for all football stadiums at this time of the year.

Early in the game Franklin-Simpson discovered how to get over and through Russellville's defense. They also capitalized on nearly every mistake the Panthers made during the game. After a fumble at 8:25 in the first quarter, the Wildcats pounced with a touchdown at 7:32 with a pass from Courtney Dalcourt to tight end Jim Murphee.

Franklin-Simpson running back Patrick Flippin had a huge night busting through holes in the Russellville defensive line. The Wildcats spread out their offense, and Russellville had no answer for it. Flippin hung a second touchdown on the Panthers with 3:51 left in the first.

On the kickoff after a missed field goal, Russellville's Damian Elam mishandled the ball but ran the ball back 97 yards for a touchdown. After he fumbled around with the ball inside the five yard line, the Wildcat return coverage split like the Red Sea in front of Moses. Elam's touchdown breathed some life into the Panthers and their fans, but with less than a minute in the quarter Dalcourt connected with Murphee in the endzone by threading a three yard pass through a pair of Panther defenders. The first quarter ended with the Wildcats up 20-7.

In the second quarter Flippin busted a 63 yard ramble through the middle of Russellville's defense and scored a touchdown. Dalcourt found Zack Herrington in the endzone for another touchdown with 3:51 left in the half. Franklin-Simpson took a commanding 34-7 lead to the locker room.

Late in the third quarter, Russellville Head Coach John Myers replaced starting quarterback Zach Smith with sophomore D.J. Quarles. It seemed that Quarles brought another dimension to the position because he was able to run the ball better than Smith. With 9:24 left in the game, Quarles linked up with Zach Smith, who was playing wide receiver, for a 60+ yard touchdown pass. Smith ran past all the Wildcat defenders.

Russellville opted for the two point conversion and handed the ball off to Damian Elam, who made the athletic play of the night. He jumped over a diving Wildcat defender to convert the extra-points.

Franklin-Simpson should have a good ball team this season with Courtney Dalcourt at quarterback and athletic receivers like Murphee and Herrington. Patrick Flippin adds another dimension to their offense out of the backfield, not too mention Dalcourt skills at scrambling. Dalcourt, however, needs to give up on the scramble and throw the ball out of bounds after he has rolled out of the tackle box.

Russellville? They are going to have to start popping people on the football field. They don't seem to play very physical football, and they have to quit making so many mistakes. The turn the ball over too much, and their special teams are inconsistent.

OBSERVATIONS

What is this, Exxon? Fans have to shell out five bucks for a program and roster at Rhea Stadium. The program is for all the fall sports, but five bucks?! I'm just kidding because I know it helps fund some of the athletics programs. I was hoping for a coupon for Roy's barbecue.

It's Rigged! Russellville Independent School System's superintendent's wife won the drawing at Rhea Stadium. Hey, now!

Funny Story: One of my best friends, Russ Cummins, who does the play-by-play for Fern Creek High School football told me a story about his uncle "R.D." R.D. played for Bowling Green years ago when the Purples and the Panthers tangled every year. A Russellville player delivered a crushing blow to my friend's uncle, but R.D. jumped right back up and ran to the sideline and sat down on the bench. There was a problem, though. The hit knocked the sense out of the player, and he was sitting on Russellville's bench. The Panther players got away from him like he just walked out of the reactor core at Three Mile Island. Bowling Green had to dispatch a manager to retrieve their discombobulated player. If I remember right, that happened at Rhea Stadium.

Basketball Lamentations

2008-06-10T15:57:00.002-05:00

"The roads to Jerusalem are in mourning, no longer filled with crowds on their way to celebrate the Temple festivals."

Basketball gyms and arenas across the Pennyrile are quiet on Friday nights in the summer. There might be a handful of friends or players running the court in a pick-up game, but, for the most part, the lights are off and dust gathers waiting for the first stirrings of practice in the fall.

I love baseball, so I settle into that cove during the summer, but in Bowling Green baseball season pretty much ends when the Hilltoppers play their last game at Nick Denes Field. I can keep up with the St. Louis Cardinals via the internet, but I lament June around here. There's no basketball. There's no baseball. There's heat and humidity, and I mow my lawn counting the days until the high school football season starts. That helps a lot. It speeds the time until the first tipoff of the season.

By the way, for a few weeks this fall Pennyrile Pick and Roll will become Pennyrile Hook and Ladder because I will cover some football games around the region. There's nothing better than spending a mild fall evening watching high school football.

I've got to find out if Owensboro plays Breckinridge County and find that lady who takes off a piece of clothing every time the Red Devils score. I only saw her when they played Bowling Green. It was cold and the Red Devils only got on the board twice.

Still, I lament the wait for basketball season.

No Chris Gregory and I are not eating children or struggle at millstones. Our children do not stagger under heavy loads of wood.

Still, I was driven to watch NBA basketball. Oh, the sorrows we bear! Yeah, yeah. I know there's some NBA fans out there, but I've never been able to watch professional basketball very much. One night I switched off the basketball game and started watching hockey. I mean no offense to fans of "The Association." I've tried to like it.

I guess it's sort of like green olives. They look good but taste awful. No matter how many times one might get suckered into eating a green olive they're always going to taste terrible.

"Give us back the joys we once had!"

No, my name is not Jeremiah.

My kids went to Bowling Green High School's basketball camp. This was their second year to attend the camp, and they love it. They come home throwing bounce passes and guarding each other with a proper defensive stance. We live in Warren Central's district, so I tell them to be careful sporting those purple and gold t-shirts.

I want to say thanks to all the coaches and players at BGHS for enhancing my kids' love of basketball.

Chris Gregory is going to post something about coaching changes in the Fifth Region. There's nothing going on in the Fourth.

Damon Tabor, who was principal at Rockfield Elementary, is apparently going to coach the girls' team at Warren Central. He retired from Rockfield at the end of the school year. He wore out his electric paddle on my kids, so he decided to retire.

Hang in there hoops fans.

Pick and Roll Parody

2008-04-23T13:40:00.002-05:00

Ah, yes, the ivory towers of academia bristle with the Newtonian genius of McQuady, Kentucky's number one sage. This should build the confidence of the Commonwealth that her children are being well educated at institutions of higher learning like Western Kentucky University -- the Harvard of South Central Kentucky -- when they see this kind of creativity emerging from the tiled and marbled hallways of The Hill.

The song can be sung to the old Dr. Hook song "Cover of the Rolling Stone." It's always been one of my favorite songs, so I think it is funny that someone came up with a parody of Pick and Roll using that song. I started thinking about the song when I started writing columns for High School Zone Magazine and took copies to my parents in Mayfield, "Gonna buy five copies for my mother."

Chris Gregory and I don't have Indian gurus or teenage, blue-eyed groupies, and neither of us wears an eye-patch. I don't have a limo for my poor old gray haired daddy to drive, either.

If you don't know the tune follow the above link and listen. Here you go:

Well I’m a big time blogger
Not killing trees like a logger
And I write about things I know
I write about history and I write about hoops
I’m not worried about making much dough
I’ve got a big gas bill that gives my wife a cold chill
But it’s a chill that has got to go
When my wife starts reading what’s I’m writing
On the Pennyrile Pick and Roll

(Pick and Roll) Wanna read the stories by your lover?
(Roll) Wanna send the link to your mother?
(Roll) Wanna see what I’ll write next
On the Pennyrile Pick and Roll

I’m not shady just taking my old lady
To gyms that she ain’t never seen
I got my little son and daughter
Taking notes for our e-zine
Now it’s all designed to cover our region
But the region won’t really be covered
Until your team hosts a game that’ll get you
On the Pennyrile Pick and Roll

(Pick and Roll) Wanna read the stories that we cover?
(Roll) Wanna write about some others?
(Roll) Wanna see what we’ll write next
On the Pennyrile Pick and Roll

I’ve got me a 5th Region correspondent
Who’ll write anything I want
I got a fancy web counter
That’s keeping track of the hits
I got all the space that a blog provides
So I never have to cut it off
And I’ll keep writing and you’ll keep reading
What’s on the Pennyrile Pick and Roll

(Pick and Roll) Wanna read the stories that we cover?
(Roll) Wanna send a link to your mothers?
(Roll) Wanna see what we’ll write next
On the Pennyrile Pick and Roll
On the Pennyrile Pick and Roll
On the Pennyrile Pick and Roll

Sweet Sixteen Championship

2008-03-23T00:07:00.002-05:00

Mason County 57 - Holmes 48

Welcome to my post about the Northern Kentucky Invitational Tournament. They have all the good football teams, but now they want to dominate basketball, too. I used to work in northern Kentucky a lot, and I always felt like I was in Ohio when I got north of Georgetown. People talked funny, drove like maniacs, and insisted on telling me that I was #1 in the form of a hand signal. They drove fast but were awful nice when they passed me. I'd just tell them that I thought they were #1 right back.

I went to the game for two reasons. First, I love the way the Holmes Bulldogs play basketball. When they are clicking, I could watch them play all day. They play with grace and agility. The make a beautiful sport more so. The other reason? I wasn't going to deny my quest to see all fifteen games of the Sweet Sixteen.

Crazy? You're danged right. Going to the entire tournament is among the craziest things I've done in a long time. It will probably take a week to get the sound of basketball out of my head. The whistles. The horns. The bouncing of a ball on hardwood. The squeak of rubber soles. It's all in there.

I don't know what to write about a championship. I don't want to bore everyone with a game recap because that will be told in every newspaper from the banks of the Mississippi to the headwaters of the Tug.

Holmes played sloppy in the first and third quarters, and it cost them the game. I'm tired. I may write more about it in the next couple of days, but I'm going to bed and celebrating Easter on Sunday.

Happy Hoops!!

Sweet Sixteen; Semifinals

2008-03-22T23:23:00.004-05:00

Holmes 57 - Lexington Catholic 50

All I've heard all week is that Lexington Catholic was going to win the state championship. I had nothing to counter them with, but I knew that Holmes was a very good team. With Elijah Pittman emerging as a reliable sophomore scoring and rebounding threat, the Bulldogs looked like the kind of team needed to knock of the Knights.

It didn't look to good for Holmes at the start of the game. They played sloppy, much of it due to Catholic's tenacious press. Catholic looked unstoppable, taking a 19-4 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Bulldogs sprang to life in the second quarter and outplayed the Knights. Holmes was quicker and stronger than them. The Knights had a 31-25 lead at the break, but Holmes was coming after them, outscoring them 21-12 in the second quarter.

After the half, Holmes picked up where they left off in the first half. They continued to surge at the Knights, and with 4:58 on the clock, they cut the lead to 34-32. They tied it at 38 with 2:38 left in teh third quarter.

At this point the video boards featured the Subway "Sub of the Game," which was Elijah Pittman. At that point he had six points and three rebounds. I've become a huge fan of this wonderful sophomore who stepped his game up on the big stage of the Sweet Sixteen. He finished the game with 15 points.

I guess Pittman averaged about 15 points a game for the tournament, and he did all of it -- to the semifinal -- from the bench. I've become a huge fan of his.

The momentum shifted back to Lexington Catholic at the end of the quarter, when they hit two quick baskets as time expired. They were up 44-41.

The Bulldogs played great defense in the fourth quarter, holding a beleaguered Catholic team to just six points. Meanwhile, they reeled off 16 points and rode a 57-50 win over one of the favorites to win the tournament into the championship game.

Mason County 60 - Shelby County 50

Thirty years ago, the Shelby County Rockets won their second state championship by downing the Holmes Bulldogs. It would be one of those "wow" moments if the two linked up again in the championship round. By the way, Charles Hurt played for Shelby County, and Dicky Beal played for Holmes. Both ended up playing together for UK.

I think Dicky Beal bumped into me tonight, and, of course, the officials called a foul on me.

Instead of having Louisville Central in their way like they did in 1978, Shelby County had a mighty Mason County team in their way. Instead of having the star headed to play for the Wildcats, Mason County had the star -- Darrius Miller -- headed for UK.

Mason struggled with the Rockets defense in the first half. At the end of one quarter, the Royals had a 16-15 lead on Shelby County, who probably wore the glass slipper to the semifinals. It's funny because their baseball team wore the same shoe to the state championship game last summer.

The two teams played to a 6-4 defensive slug-fest in the second quarter. It wasn't pretty basketball.

Mason County controlled the second half and advanced to the championship game with a 60-50 victory.

OBSERVATIONS

Eight More Miles to Louisville: I've been meaning to post something about this. It's the first time since 1996 that both Louisville schools were eliminated in the first round. Well, I guess that the good programs from the state's principal city has to allow the underpopulated places in the state to enjoy the Sweet Sixteen. Everybody is lucky that Male High choked in the first round of the Seventh Region tournament.

Billy G: Billy Gillespie was hanging around the Sweet Sixteen for the semifinal watching Darius Miller. Autograph seekers swarmed him at times. Maybe he'll finally sign his contract.

Eight through Eleven: The semifinal featured teams from the eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh regions. They should have called it the "Golden Triangle Invitational." Oh, well, that will lead to more industry moving into the area.

Double Royalty: I noticed that Mason County has a kid named Ethan King on the squad. He scored 18 points in Saturday morning's semifinal. He's the Royal's King. Thank, you very much. TCB, baby.

Sweet Sixteen Quartefinals; Session Two

2008-03-21T22:45:00.005-05:00

Shelby County 53 - Hazard 50

Anyone who has read my posts knows that I'm pulling for the Rockets to win the state championship. I have ties to that community and am a long time fan of Shelby County.

Hazard jumped out to an early lead, and Shelby County played a terrible second quarter, scoring only seven points. The Rockets played a 3-2 zone that overplayed on the wings trying to force Hazard to go inside. Hazard's Josh Whittaker, who is a fantastic sophomore, stepped his scoring and had a 11 points at halftime.

Hazard had a 30-20 lead after holding Shelby County to five second quarter points.

Shelby County responded by playing a nearly perfect third quarter. They hit their shots and quickly cut the lead to 30-29. In fact, Hazard didn't score until the 2:40 mark of the quarter. I noticed that Coty Minnis hurt his foot and actually had his shoe off while on the bench. He was for a couple of minutes but returned before the end of the quarter. Shelby tied it at 33 with Tim Sanford's three pointer.

The Rockets outscored them 18-5 in tthe third and had a 38-35 lead.

In the fourth the Rockets expanded the lead to 46-37, but the Bulldogs had one more bite left in them. They roared back to within two, 50-48. Shelby County hit important free throws down the stretch, and kept Hazard from capitalizing on two critical possessions at the end of the game.

Shelby County advances to the semifinals for the first time since Charles Hurt led them to the championship in 1978.

OBSERVATIONS

Who Shot the Sheriff: Paintsville's band is the first one I've seen that features steel drums. I used to live in Miami, Florida, and never saw one down there. They played "Low Rider" by War the other night, and on Friday night they played "I Shot the Sheriff." I guess they probably don't do that song when the team travels to Harlan County.

Lexington Traffic Update: You know those little stick figure people and pets that people stick on the back windows of their mini-vans? In Lexington, those things are kill flags. Crosswalks are target zones. People gripe about Louisville traffic to me, but at least Louisville traffic moves. It moves at a break-neck pace, but you're going to get where you're going unless you die. I read a story in the "Hurled-Liter" that a woman gave birth in her car on Broadway in Lexington. What the paper didn't tell is that the child was conceived, gestated, and born in the same traffic jam.

Hanging Up the Whistle: Paintsville's coach, Mike Runyon, is retiring. His career ended when the horn sounded on their loss to Holmes in the quarterfinals. When one of his players complained to the officials the other night, he got the attention of the player and just tapped the side of his own head with one finger, telling the young man to think. That's great.

B.G.'s D.G.: Congrats to Bowling Green's Coach D.G. Sherrill for being named Fourth Region Coach of the Year. He's proof that coaching goes beyond the court and into young men's hearts.

T.P. Scott Update: Mr. Scott from Adair County survived game number 666. No seven headed monster or anything else out of The Revelation. He's moved on and closing in one #675. That's 675 Sweet Sixteen games in-a-row.

Sweet Sixteen Quartefinals; Session One

2008-03-21T21:25:00.004-05:00

Lexington Catholic 54 - Owensboro 47

The Owensboro Red Devils just gave one of the best teams in the state a run for their money. Lexington Catholic has a stable full of Division I prospects, and Owensboro has a several good players and Brock Moorman. I don't mean to put down the other Red Devils, but Moorman is the only player on their squad that might get the looks that Vee Sanford, Jordan Smart, or Nathan Novosel get.

The Red Devils outplayed the Knights at times, and they took a narrow 23-21 lead to halftime

In the third quarter the Knights came back and took the lead away from Owensboro. In an effort to stop Catholic's surge, Wayne Breeden, used all his timeouts. With 3:06 left in the quarter, Owensboro had one full timeout left.

The Knights took a 38-32 lead to the final frame.

There was a big crowd at this game, and they were responsive to the action on the court. Tyler Swift drew first blood in the fourth with a three pointer at 6:40 that brought the Red Devils to within three.

That's when Taylor Stewart took over the game for a few minutes for the Knights. He started out with back-to-back slam dunks, and topped his effort off with a three point shot that put the Lex. Cath a 47-36 lead.

Owensboro had one more run left in them, and they pulled to within two with 3:18 left with a 49-47 score. Catholic controlled the last three minutes of the game and held Owensboro scoreless. They advance to the semifinals with a 54-47 victory.

Holmes 61 - Paintsville 53

The Paintsville Tigers attack the basket more and better than anyone I've seen this season. Landon Slone and Shane Grimm will take on anyone with the dribble, and they are dangerous because they can finish plays or pull up and shoot.

I was anxious to see how they would match up with the athletic Holmes team. They hung pretty well with Holmes, which has so many different tools on the floor. Paintsville competes with good teams by doing everything right. They have to.

Holmes took a three point lead to the second quarter, but the Tigers outplayed them, outscoring them 16-10 in the second quarter and took a narrow 24-21 lead to halftime. The Tigers ended the half with a beautiful play. Blake Bundy flipped a perfect pass to Landon Slone, who finished it with a reverse layup. It was done perfectly.

Paintsville pace seemed suicidal. They fly up and down the court, and they only have six or seven players that are very good (I hate to write that). They start thinking about attacking the basket when they inbounds the ball on the other end.

Every time I wrote Paintsville off in the second half, they came back on Holmes. The Tigers clung to a 37-36 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The Bulldogs used their size, strength and athletic advantage in the fourth quarter and outscored Paintsville 25-16 to win and advance to the semifinals to face Lexington Catholic.

OBSERVATIONS

Who Shot the Sheriff: I love Paintsville's band. I've never, ever seen a high school band that features steel drums, and I'm a native of Miami, Florida. I didn't know there were that many Rastafarian's in the Kentucky mountains. The dude playing the steel drums, played a great rendition of "I Shot the Sheriff." I loved it. I wonder if they'd play that song if they performed in Harlan County?

Lexington Traffic Update: I read in the "Hurled-Liter" that a baby was born in a car on Broadway in Lexington. I'm willing to bet that the full story would say that the child was conceived, gestated, and born in the same traffic jam. By the way, if any soul is brave enough to step off a curb in "SexyLexy" right after the walk signal flashes, they are brave enough serve in the military. In Lexington, crosswalks are target zones. Has anyone noticed the little stick figures people put on the back windows of their SUVs usually depicting a family and a couple of pets? In Lexington, those things are kill flags.

That's Not the Pits, Man!: Elijah Pittman entered the state tournament averaging 5.4 points a game. Since stepping onto the court at Rupp Arena he's scored 24 in the first round game and 19 in Friday's quarterfinal. Pittman is a just a sophomore. He's long, lanky, and athletic. He can also step out and knock down three point shots. I wonder if David Henley has been rope-a-doping everyone this season.

Sweet Sixteen: First Round; Session Four

2008-03-21T06:21:00.002-05:00

Eight games in two days is killer. I dream about basketball at night. Maybe my addiction has finally led to an overdose. I'm no Gram Parsons, though, so I will be careful not to push too far.

Game One

Paducah Tilghman 77 - Greenwood 53

When Greenwood won the Fourth Region I wondered how a scrappy team like them would fare in the Sweet Sixteen. When Tilghman won the First Region, I wondered if Greenwood could handle their size. When Tilghman took the floor on Thursday night, I knew the Gators were going to end up as a buffet with everyone in Paducah saying, "Tastes like chicken."

The Tornado pounced on Greenwood as if they were a trailer park sitting in a treeless field in a super cell thunderstorm.

There's not very much to write about this game. Quick summary: the Gators shot terrible and Tilghman's Stefon Perry and Isaac McClure grabbed every rebound that came off the board. Perry had 11 rebounds and McClure had 13. They had a combined 18 defensive rebounds. Tilghman had 42 boards as a team, and 32 of those came off the defensive glass. They had one fewer defensive rebounds than Greenwood had total boards -- 33. The Gators shot a miserable 27.4% for the game.

Isaac McClure finished the game with 16 points and was 7 of 15 from the field with two three pointers.

Greenwood had no answer for Tilghman's dominance. They made a late run at them, but the Gators were over matched. In a way, Tilghman was a giant Steve Irwin Thursday night in Lexington. Tilghman advances to the quarterfinals with a 77-53 victory over Greenwood

Game Two

Mason County 66 - Elliott County 62

I could bore Pick and Roll readers with a thousand cliches about David and Goliath or with the movie "Hoosiers," which I have done in the past. By high school standards, Mason County has a big lineup starting two players who are 6'7" and they have several others well over six feet tall. Elliott County is smaller, but has more scrap than a junkyard.

The Elliott County Lions played their way into the hearts of the Rupp Arena crowd in Thursday's nightcap game.

Mason County seemed in control of the game in the first half, but Elliott stayed at their heels. The Royals had a precarious 35-30 lead at halftime.

The drama started in the third quarter when Elliott County started their bid to upset one of the teams I've heard a lot of people say is going to win the championship. They closed to within two, 43-41 at the end of the quarter.

Twenty seconds into the fourth, Elliott County's Tyler Maynard, one of only two seniors on the squad, made a statement by launching a three from the the wing to put the Lions ahead 44-43.

Earlier in the season my cohort Chris Gregory commented that a player started looking for his shot when he got off the bus. These guys from Elliott County started looking for their shots when they departed Sandy Hook. They are to shooting what Ricky Skaggs is to the mandolin.

A little later, Maynard shot a beautiful arching, rainmaking three pointer from the Rupp Arena logo that brought the house down. He put his Lions up 53-47, and they had the momentum.

The Royals did what great teams do to win ballgames. They didn't falter. Trevor Setty and Russ Middleton were like big game hunters late in the game. They hit back-to-back-to-back threes that gave Mason County a 62-59 lead with 1:40 left.

Elliott County made a challenge to a very good basketball team that beat them 90-61 earlier in the season. They received a rousing ovation from the crowd as they left the floor.

Mason County advances to meet Tilghman with a 66-62 win.

OBSERVATIONS

Magic Johnson?: Mason County's Darius Miller is 6'7" and often brings the ball up the court for the Royals. He handles the ball well and sees the court pretty good. There were times, though, when he needed to be under the basket to take advantage of his team's size advantage. He's a good player with a nice soft shot.

Some Love for Pick and Roll?: I noticed that Elliott County's Timmy Knipp had a "T" tattooed on one calf and a "K" on the other. Thanks, Timmy, but it's a bit much. Oh, wait, maybe those are HIS initials.

Toppahz in da House: The KHSAA honored former Hilltopper Terry Davis just before the Shelby County game in the afternoon, and they honored Hilltopper great Jim McDaniels in the evening. It's good to see Hilltoppers at the state tournament. The last time there were that many Hilltoppers on the Rupp Arena floor they handed the Wildcats a 64-52 loss.

I go to church with a guy who played against McDaniels in high school. He told me one time that he held Big Jim to below his season average in one ballgame. McDaniels averaged 44 points that season, and my friend held him to 42. Good work, Ralph.

Toppahz Not in da House: I'm glad to not see Darrin Horn and the WKU coaching staff skulking around the state tournament. That means they have work to do readying to play in the NCAA.

Sweet Sixteen: First Round; Session Three

2008-03-21T05:23:00.003-05:00

Since I'm a semi-native of Louisville, it disappoints me that "da-Ville" isn't a good host to the Sweet Sixteen and has lost the opportunity to host it for time's immemorial. I see why Lexington's a better host, though. Rupp Arena being in downtown and immediately adjacent to nice hotels sets up an atmosphere that Louisville cannot duplicate. Fans can go from hotel to hotel through hamster tubes that allow them to stay out of the rain and cold and stay out of Lexington traffic.

Lexingtonians run red lights as if it were a sport. They drive under the speed limit until the light turns red, and then they gun it. If I were going to take up Figure-8 stock car racing as a hobby, I'd practice by driving through Lexington green lights at full speed.

I used to work in Lexington in a previous life. I grew to hate New Circle Road with a passion. It's part expressway and part parking lot. The genius who decided that it was smart to design a road that goes from expressway to a jungle of stop lights in 1.1 seconds should spend eternity driving a Yugo without heat or air around New Circle Road.

I've decided that New Circle is a metaphor for UK's football and basketball programs. One part of it is speedy and well designed while the other part of it is congested and does not work the way it is designed.

Game One

Hazard 50 - South Laurel 47

Like New Circle Road, this game was sort of a match up of opposites. South Laurel is a newer school with a large enrollment, and Hazard has been around for along time and only has 286 students. Old and small versus new and big. This is the 28th time Hazard has made it to the Sweet Sixteen.

Hazard made the most of it from the opening tip. They jumped on the Cardinals with sticky defense in the first quarter that allowed them to take a 14-4 lead. Opening with an active defense and trying to shock an opponent in the first quarter may be a very good strategy for the state tournament. It can expose the nerve of a team. It's sort of like basketball's "shock and awe" strategy, but it can't result in a frustrating occupation that drags on for five years.

Hazard's point guard is a sophomore by the name of Josh Whittaker. This kid is one of the best ball handlers I've seen this season, and is unflappable under any kind of pressure. He played like he belonged on the Rupp Arena court. He played all 32 minutes of the game and scored 17 points. He did have six turnovers, but, hey, he's a sophomore.

South Laurel got over their shock. I doubt that they were ever in awe of Hazard. The Cardinals were not getting in position and had poor shot selection, but in the second quarter they turned things around and closed the gap on the Bulldogs. They outscored them 13-10, but Hazard had a 24-17 lead at halftime.

The two teams played evenly in the third quarter, and Hazard took a 34-26 lead into the final frame.

South Laurel played with great intensity in the fourth quarter and made a heroic effort to upend Hazard. Late in the game, the Cardinals' Jordan Bortnem, who scored 21 points, canned two free throws to bring his team to within five at 44-39. They got a chance to cut it to three when Wes Dean drove the lane with a beautiful layup. The ball hung on the rim for what seemed like an eternity and creaked over and fell into the hands of a waiting Hazard player. It seemed like South Laurel's hopes ended there.

They pulled within two on a couple of possessions down the stretch, but when Hazard's Whittaker hit a well challenged running jump shot with under a minute left, South Laurel's hopes really faded. Hazard withstood their late game challenge and advanced with a 50-47 victory.

Game Two

Shelby County 70 - Lincoln County 58

When I posted on Shelby County's February 15th game with Elizabethtown, I confessed that I probably had a bias toward the Rockets. I lived in Shelbyville for seven years and made a lot of good friends there, and I followed Shelby County basketball during those seasons. These days, my nephew, Tyler Layton, pitches for the Rockets, so I still have a soft spot for them.

If my post has bias, I apologize.

Shelby County took control of this game early on and controlled it all the way through. They were bigger and stronger than Lincoln County, and their defense frustrated the Patriots. Lincoln County lives and dies by the three point shot, and on Thursday afternoon they fell on their sword in the first half. They shot 1-13 from the arc in the first half.

They did hit eight threes in the second half, but it was too little too late for them.

Shelby County is one of the best interior passing teams I've ever seen. They make short, quick passes, and all of their interior players have great hands. Alex Matthews, who is a forward, had eight assists. Coty Minnis, often the beneficiary of Matthews' passing, scored 25 points. He's very good at the two hand lay-in off the glass. No one is going to slap the ball away from him when he gets it in the paint.

Shelby controlled the boards, too, out rebounding the Pats 38-15.

Shelby County advances to meet Hazard with a 70-58 victory.

OBSERVATIONS

Nice Shot Layton: My nephew, Tyler Layton, participated in one of the promotions at halftime in which contestants have to hit as many shots as possible in 45 seconds. They try to outscore someone from the other school. Layton kept shooting threes that shanked off the front of the rim. Hey, Tyler, quit playing on the eight foot goals!

Turn Out the Lights: Lincoln County had a huge crowd on hand. I used to spend a lot of time in that county, and made me think that no one was left down there. I hope the last one out turned off the light, checked to make sure the stove was off and the iron unplugged.

Best Band Music of the Session: South Laurel's band broke out into a great rendition of J. Geils Band's "Freeze Frame." You gotta love that.

Sweet Sixteen: First Round; Session Two

2008-03-20T07:06:00.002-05:00

Game One

Paintsville 93 - Jeffersontown 87

I thought they might have to examine the Rupp Arena floor for scorch marks after this barn burner. You can throw all sorts of sports cliches at this ballgame -- barn burner, track meet -- whatever you want. These two teams attacked the basket and had some dead eye shooters.

I'm guessing that J-town's Coach Jeff Morrow never dreamed that his team could shoot 52.2% in the first round and lose. They were 35 for 67 and scored 87 points, but will be packing their bags and heading back to the Louisville Metro.

No one doubted that these two teams would play at a pace faster than a field full of Secretariats because Paintsville averaged 81.3 points a game, and J-town posted 68.5 points a game. In today's 32 minute ballgame they scored 180 points. That's 5.6 points a minute. If it was a college basketball game, they could've turned off the shot clock because the time keeper would've worn out the reset button. Fans could not take their eye off of the game because they might miss a couple of possessions in a flash.

Heck, I got out of breath just watching it.

Paintsville's Landon Slone is one of the best shooters I've seen in a long time. His instinct is to score, and he's a great stop-and-pop shooter, and can hit jumpers from any range and any spot on the floor. He stymied J-town's defenders and finished the game with 35 points.

The Chargers' Thomas Jackson (where have I heard that name before?) led the way with 24 points. He averaged 10 points a game during the season, but he exploded in Wednesday's game. Everybody scored a lot of points.

Paintsville controlled the ballgame. It's not a matter of controlling tempo because both teams enjoy a fast paced game. The Tigers outplayed J-town in this style of game. It would be dangerous to try to open up a game on Paintsville because they have great shooters, great ball handlers, and they will attack the basket on anyone.

It was an exciting game because down the stretch J-town kept it close and cut the lead to two, 86-84, with 1:12 left in teh game. Of the four games played on Wednesday, this was by far the best. Both teams played great and played like they belonged in Rupp Arena. I believe it's the best game I've seen all year.

Game Two

Covington Holmes 64 - Bardstown 44

Simply put, Bardstown was over matched. I have a feeling that the phrase applies to a lot of teams that played Holmes this year. The Bulldogs are loaded with great athletes and are very well coached. It's not common to see slam dunks in a high school game, but on Wednesday night the Bulldogs threw down three against the Tigers from Bardstown.

Holmes also keyed on senior point guard, Corey Hall, who averages 13.6 points a game. He had a miserable night with just three points and six turnovers. Bardstown had 29 turnovers for the game. The Bulldogs had 16 steals.

At one point Holmes had a 29 point lead on the Tigers, and Coach David "I'm Not Don" Henley called off -- pardon the pun -- the dogs in the fourth quarter. He could've really embarrassed the young Bardstown team, which has only two seniors on the roster.

I'd watch out for this Holmes team. Everyone up here is talking about Lexington Catholic and Mason County, but Holmes is absolutely loaded with good players. They are big, strong, and incredibly athletic. They have a balanced attack, and I love to watch them play. If them and Lex. Cath tangle in the semifinal, it could be an exciting Saturday morning match up.

Elijah Pittman finished with 10 points for the Bulldogs and had one very impressive dunk. He also has a nice outside shot. He's listed at 6'5" but can elevate like a rocket. Ricardo Johnson led with 11 points and six rebounds.

Jordan Hickman had 14 points for Bardstown. The Tigers lose Corey Hall next season, but they should be a solid team in the Fifth Region with a roster full of seniors.

Holmes advances to meet Paintsville at 1:30 on Friday. That should be a tilt.

OBSERVATIONS

Great Bands: Paintsville's band includes a xylophone. They opened with a great rendition of War's "Low Rider." They jammed on the drums and xylophone. J-town's band is excellent. I really liked it when they whipped out Lipps Inc.'s "Funky Town." They played it so well. Heck I thought everyone was going to leave Lexington for Funky Town about half way through the song. I guess I'm just going to talk about, talk about, talk about movin. If there's a championship for sweet Sweet Sixteen bands, these two have to be in the finals. Oh, wait, Central's band can hang with them, too.

Fun with Flavo-O-Rich: During a break in every game these dudes from Flavorich come out to center court with the biggest dang slingshot I've every seen. They send t-shirts flying into the upper reaches of Rupp Arena. They even hit a banner for one of the retired jerseys. I have some experience with one of those things. One of my neighbors in Hugh Poland Hall at WKU made a slingshot out of rubber hoses used to supply bunsen burners. They bombed people in the parking lot with water balloons. I just want to say that we weren't crazy enough to bomb WKU campus police with water balloons. We would NEVER do anything so irresponsible. To any WKU police reading this -- it was a really rainy night that night with some huge raindrops. If you want to investigate, my name is spelled C-H-R-I-S G-R-E-G-O-R-Y.

Best Student Section: Chris Gregory has posted all season that the Bardstown student section is the best. They are. They put the dukies on Tobacco Road to shame, and they don't do anything in bad taste, either. I love it when students surf in the crowd. It's a neat effect. I love them. I hate that they took the first round ouster because this group would be fun to have around.

Sweet Sixteen: First Round; Session One

2008-03-19T22:41:00.003-05:00

Oh boy! The KHSAA bills the Sweet Sixteen as the "Greatest Show in Hoops." It isn't all hype, either. The KHSAA officials and the Rupp Arena staff work their tails off to host one of the biggest gatherings in the Commonwealth. Think about it. In the course of four days they will put on 15 basketball games and host over 100,000 basketball fans in the arena. I wouldn't even guess at how many media, participants, and staff also attend the Sweet Sixteen. It is a great show, even before they tip up the first basketball.

First Session; Game One Lexington Catholic 69 - University Heights Academy 54

It was the battle of the small private schools. I expected this to be a real battle between two very good basketball teams. Both teams are loaded with Division I prospects, and they've put up some impressive numbers over the course of the season.

I saw University Heights play Bowling Green in December when the Blazers cruised into the Purples' gym and cruised out with a victory. That night, Tyshwan Edmondson caught my eye, and he came into the state tournament averaging 18.2 points a game while hitting 42 of 106 three point goals and dishing out 143 assists in 34 ballgames. Scotty Hopson was the leading scorer for the Blazers with 24.4 points a game, and he averaged 11.4 rebounds per game. He gets all the attention, and rightly so with those gaudy numbers. DaQuan Brown ads 12.8 points per game for UHA.

I knew about those guys because I saw them play, and I talk to people in "Hopsonville" about the Blazers.

I knew very little about Lexington Catholic. I knew they were good, and I know from experience to respect anyone who navigates their way out of the Eleventh Region. They have three solid Division I prospects in their starting lineup. Vee Sanford averages 12.7 points a game and is a big 6'3" guard. Taylor Stewart is the leading scorer with 17.6 points a game. Jordan Smart adds 12.3 points a game and Nathan Novosel puts in 13.3 per game.

The Knights are a well balanced basketball team, in scoring and in any other stat you can conjur.

Lexington Catholic threw a wicked press at the Blazers from the opening possession, and UHA withered under the pressure. They had trouble moving the ball and holding on to it. Vee Sanford had four steals in the first half, and the Blazers committed 13 turnovers in the half.

The Knights had a commanding 42-22 lead on the Second Region champions. I think everyone in the arena was as surprised as I was at the whipping the Knights were putting on UHA. DaQuan Brown had four turnovers, and Tyshwan Edmondson had five.

Lexington Catholic opened the second half right where they left off in the first half. They took a 23 point lead, 47-24, on UHA early in the third quarter.

UHA made a courageous comeback. They outscored the Knights 18-9 in the third quarter and eventually cut the lead to six points. Lexington Catholic caught a late surge in the fourth quarter and downed the Blazers 69-54.

Scotty Hopson scored 21 points, 13 of which were in the second half, and grabbed nine rebounds. Tyshwan Edmondson grabbed 10 rebounds, scored 13 points, but had an ugly seven turnovers for the game.

Taylor Stewart scored 25 points for the victorious Knights, and teammate Vee Sanford scored 22 points and had seven steals. I decided that "Vee" stands for victory. I'd watch out for the Knights because they are a well balanced and tough basketball team.

Game Two
Owensboro 63 - Louisville Central 48

Nearly every year a team "captures lightning in a bottle" in a regional tournament and plays its way into the Sweet Sixteen. This year, the Central Yellow Jackets from Louisville came into the tournament with a 15-11 record, which means they started post season play with a .500 record. In the Sixth Region tournament, the Yellow Jackets beat a 22-10 Fairdale team and a 25-4 Pleasure Ridge Park team. So, Central was capable of beating some pretty good teams.

The magic runs out, though. On Wednesday, the Red Devils from Owensboro busted Central's bottle full of lightning on the hardwood of Rupp Arena.

I saw Owensboro play in the Citizens First Bank Classic in Bowling Green right before Christmas. I guess they were doing their best impression of Tubby Smith's 2006 Wildcat team because -- looking back -- they might have been the high school version of "Team Turmoil." They dropped back-to-back games to Greenwood and Central Hardin, and they were without one or two players because of discipline. In Bowling Green, the Red Devils registered a lackluster performance, and Coach Wayne Breeden seemed inactive in their game against Central Hardin. I nearly commented on it then, but I sensed that his team was having problems.

I never figured them for a Sweet Sixteen team, but they won 22 ballgames and beat a good Apollo team twice in the postseason. Apollo did their rival a favor when they took down top ranked Muhlenberg North by one point in the regional semifinal.

The two teams played fairly even in the first quarter, but things changed in the second. Owensboro played like a regional champ that belonged in the state tournament, and Central looked like a 15-11 team that peaked several days ago. The Red Devil defense held them to four second quarter points, and they took a 30-14 lead to halftime.

Central played tough in the third quarter. They picked up their defense and nearly played their way back into the game. Ridge Wilson hit a basket late in the quarter that pulled the Yellow Jackets to ten points, 38-28, I thought they might have some life.

Something that might have hurt Central's effort was when their point guard Chris Starks hurt his toe. Starks isn't a scorer for them, but he's a floor leader and had accumulated 105 assists during the season. He never made it back into the game. They still challenged the Red Devils, but Central's performance in the second quarter doomed them. Owensboro advanced to face Lexington Catholic with a 63-48 win.

OBSERVATIONS

A Court Full of Talent: When the Blazers and the Knights took the court in the first game, there were at least six, possibly seven, Division I prospects on the hardwood. The two teams were big, quick, and athletic. I really expected a better game, but Lex. Cath had too many tools and a great press.

Bibby, Baby: I mean that in the context of Al Davis saying, "Just win, baby" and not that Central's Coach Doug Bibby is a baby. I really like his coaching style. He very rarely gets onto the officials and is always instructing and teaching his kids on the court and on the bench. His players seem to respect him, too. I don't know anything about Coach Bibby, but I think he played for Central back in the 1980s. I think, but I remember a kid named Bibby that frustrated the Male Bulldogs for a couple of seasons.

Percussion Concussion: Central's band absolutely rocks. They warmed up the crowd with about 15 minutes of drum lines that bumped and grooved. Man! It was fun. Their cheerleaders are great, too, and actually cheered their team.

Moorman Tabernacle Choir: Brock Moorman for Owensboro had a dandy ballgame. He had a about 25 points, and I lost track of his rebounds. If he continues to play that way in the tournament, he'll have people singing his praises. He'll have to have the same kind of game if Moorman and his Devils get past the Lexington Catholic Knights. Pick and Roll is glad it's not stormy in Lexington because he'd be looking out for a lightning strike after that last line.

Sweet Sixteen Hype

2008-03-17T15:34:00.003-05:00

Paducah native Irvin S. Cobb once wrote, "Until you go to Kentucky and with your own eyes behold a Derby, you ain't been nowhere and you ain't seen nothing." I tend to agree with Mr. Cobb, but I think the same applies to the Kentucky Boys' Sweet Sixteen. "You ain't been nowhere and you ain't seen nothing" until with your "own eyes behold" a Sweet Sixteen.

On Pick and Roll I've posted that March is Kentucky's Mardis Gras. I'm only half joking about that. I do think that the Commonwealth's passion for basketball culminates in a winter/spring celebration of a cultural phenomena that sets us apart from many parts of the nation. I also think it makes us brothers to several parts of the nation that share our love for basketball. I'm not joking about that.

Kentuckians are basketball mad. I'm not a native of the state. I was born in Miami, Florida, and I cut my teeth on Miami Dolphins football and University of Alabama football (my parents lived in Dothan, Alabama, for a long time before moving to Miami). I really didn't know of any sports outside of football and baseball. I often dreamed of playing football for Bear Bryant and then Don Shula, and my brother and I spent endless hours playing football on the rough bermuda grass in our backyard in Hialeah.

In 1972, my father, who is a native Kentuckian, moved my family to Louisville. We moved up in the middle of March Madness, and Denny Crum's Cardinals made their first run to the Final Four. I have no recollection of the sport before we moved to Louisville, but I can remember thinking that Kentuckians were insane. And, maybe they are between October and the first week of April.

The following season, my father started taking me to Kentucky Colonels games in Freedom Hall. Louie Dampier, Dan Issel, Artis Gilmore were all on that team. I had favorites, too, like Ron "The Plumber" Thomas and Wendell Laettner, who was also a favorite with many women in Louisville. Those games in Freedom Hall were as if my father handed me some powerful drug that was instantly addictive. I was hopelessly hooked and have been since one of those winter nights so long ago in Louisville.

I never quit liking football, but a metal hoop and a red, white, and blue basketball joined the posters of Mercury Morris, Bob Griese, and Paul Warfield in my bedroom. My brother and I put that metal hoop on the top of our closet door, and we played all the big rivals of our favorite basketball teams right there in our room. We played the Tennessee Volunteers, Memphis State, and the hated Indiana Pacers. My parents wasted many footsteps coming in to our room and telling us to be quiet.

I don't even remember which year it was, but a neighbor two doors down from us put a basketball goal on the front of his garage. His name was Bill Venenman, and he was crippled from a severe bout with polio from his childhood. We called him "Mr. V." Mr. V had an endless enthusiasm for the game of basketball, and he had two favorite teams: the Kentucky Wildcats and the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers. He had gone to Western when Ed Diddle had some of his best teams. There were times when he would sit in his wheelchair and regale us kids with stories of the Wildcats and the Hilltoppers and some of the great high school basketball teams he remembered from his childhood.

Mr. V. knew what he was doing when he erected a basketball goal. He knew that every kid in our neighborhood would adopt the driveway in front of his garage their local basketball court. I don't know how many hours I spent in their driveway, but the Venemans never tired of us kids playing basketball there. If it got too late in the evening, they shooed us away.

After two or three years in Kentucky, basketball was as much a part of me as the blood that coursed through my young veins. Once, when I brought home a bad report card, my parents banned me from playing or watching basketball for nearly a month. I thought I was going to die. They wouldn't even let me shoot baskets at the metal hoop on my closet door. I would've taken a thousand whippings to avoid that February without basketball.

I still think that punishment kept me from ever making the basketball team at Male High School, which kept me from a college scholarship and kept me out of the NBA (Pick and Roll has deadpan humor even when I'm talking, so please realize that the previous statement is written in jest).

What does this have to do with the Sweet Sixteen? I'll tell you. It has a lot to do with it. See, I'm not unique. There are probably more than a million other Kentuckians who have had the exact same experience. There's probably several thousand that had the same experience, but they made their high school basketball team and lived a dream whether they appreciated it at the time or not.

When my brother got married in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1983, his bride's brother and friends challenged us to a game of three-on-three in their backyard. I was on my second year of coming within a hair's breadth of making Male High's basketball team, so I could play fairly well. My brother and his best friend, Ralph, were just out of college. We went out to their backyard and discovered that they had an eight foot goal.

We beat those guys like rented mules. They wouldn't switch up teams so we just kept pounding them. I bruised my wrists from dunking the ball so many times. Our friend was wearing a WKU sweatshirt, and one of them asked, "Do you play for WKU?" We fell about laughing because by Kentucky standards we were terrible.

We went inside and watched Louisville and Houston play in the Final Four. One of my sister-in-law's brothers said to the other, "these Kentuckians sure are crazy about basketball."

Yep. He nailed it.

So, imagine an arena -- a very large arena -- filled with 20,000 fans cheering on a high school basketball game, and you've got the Sweet Sixteen. It is a celebration. It's as if we've built up to the tournament with three or four months of celebration, and the Sweet Sixteen is a Fat Tuesday spread over the course of four days.

The beauty of the Sweet Sixteen is that the road map for getting there has been marked for generations. It's possible for a team with no regular season victories to get hot in late February and play their way into Sweet Sixteen. There's no RPI. There's no selection committee. There's no Billy Packer or Dick Vitale touting a conference or a particular team located in central North Carolina. There's no seeding. There's no "power conferences."

When a team straps on their shoes at the start of the district tournament, they know the road to the state tournament. They know they have to get by a couple of teams that they've faced twice already during the regular season. They know that if they get into the regional tournament, they're going to have to knock off three teams that are likely rivals and likely have played one or two or three times during the season.

When a team wins the regional championship, their reward is a slot in what I think is the most difficult basketball tournament on the planet. The NCAA tournament is hard, but they play two games a week with a day off in between. In the Sweet Sixteen, a team either has to win four games in four days or four games in three days, depending on where they are seeded. They have to play a semifinal in the morning and a championship game in the evening.

No one is in the Sweet Sixteen because they are a mediocre team from the middlings of a powerful football conference. So, every game is tough, and every player is playing not just for a championship but for a dream.

Those dreams are created when a father hands a son the game of basketball, be it in the form of bounce pass in the living room floor or by taking his boy to a long ago basketball game. The dream is run and rerun thousands of times on an empty court in a neighbor's driveway or in a church parking lot or on a dirt court in front of a tobacco barn. It is a hand off of a culture buffed into the polish of this great Commonwealth. For those fortunate few who play in the Sweet Sixteen there is so much more than banners and trophies. They are fulfilling a dream that is almost instinct.

As I write this, I can almost see that goofy gangly kid of my long ago in the neighbor's driveway counting down the clock -- five...four...three...two...one -- and winning another Sweet Sixteen or NCAA championship for one of his beloved teams.

You ain't been nowhere and you ain't seen nothing.

Fifth Region Championship, Hart County High School, Munfordville, Kentucky

2008-03-12T08:16:00.003-05:00

Bardstown 84 - Central Hardin 74

By Chris Gregory, Fifth Region Correspondent

Folks, I don't know where to start with this one. You could label this game as a game of runs. It was a matter of who would make the last run. It could also be the modern day "Hoosiers" because Central Hardin is one of the largest schools in the state, and Bardstown is one of the smallest. The Tigers were not as worried as the little team from Indiana.

We had a full house in Munfordville, and they honored the Fifth Region Athletic Directors Hall of Fame. They inducted one of my golfing buddies from Hart County, Ed Dennison. He has served Caverna High School since 1978.

After the induction, I noticed a group of young ladies and maybe one guy standing in front of the scorer's table. I didn't know what was going on. They announced that they were from Bardstown High and would sing the National Anthem. I was floored by their performance. Way to go, ladies and gent.

The first run of the night took no time. Central got the tip, and it was off to the races. Coming into the game, I thought that the Bruins had no chance to run with the Tigers, but I was wrong. They busted open the first quarter with a couple of threes and took the lead 26-18. All week Central Hardin shot the lights out in the first quarter. I'd like to know what percentage they shot in those quarters because they always came out hot.

Between the quarters I started taking in some of the fan action. All of Cecilia must have been there to support the Bruins. Heck, if you went down Highway 62, you probably could've stolen anything you wanted. I'm sure it was a ghost town. They were real proud of this team, as they should be.

(Editor's Note: How do you think I finance Pick and Roll? I wasn't at the Fourth Region Tournament last night. I was cruising up and down U.S. 62 with a pickup truck, a flashlight, and a crowbar.)

The Bruins got a little rattled in the second, and the second run of the night was starting. The Tigers were getting back into the game thanks to Central Hardin not scoring a field goal for nearly 3:00. It was getting wild and tensions were running high. I have to credit the officials for keeping this game and players under control. Bardstown cut the lead down to three before the half. It was a good half of basketball, and I hoped it would continue in the second.

The guys I sat with had a halftime discussion about what adjustments were going to be made by both teams. It was kind of crazy. The 1-3-1 zone Central had used all week was working for them, and the great ball movement and inside-out play was working for Bardstown. The third quarter was going to be different. I think Bardstown Coach Gary Goode was trying to catch hsi breath. In the third, he just sat down and turned his players loose. they responded with a 24 point outburst. Early in the quarter, Bardstown got their first lead and were not going to be denied. They held Central to 13 points in the quarter. The Tigers lead 55-47 after three.

When the fourth got started the Tigers still had some things to take care of. Bardstown was out-playing Central on both ends of the floor. In no time, they had pushed their lead to 12 and J.C. Wright called a timeout with only a minute or so off the clock.

Central had one more run. They set screens for Tony Harding and he connected on a couple of huge threes. One of them was at the 1:11 mark, and that three got it back to a ten point lead. After a Bardstown turnover, Harding hit another three. Wow! Another run and Central was showing life, and the Bruin Nation was alive again. Time was not on their side, however. Central had cut the lead to three, but that was with 48 seconds to go. They had to start fouling.

Bardstown hit their free tosses and won by ten, 84-74. It's the Tigers first trip to the Sweet Sixteen since 1971. They had a huge second half, scoring 53 points. Down the stretch, the Tigers made 13 of 14 free throws after the 1:30 mark.

OBSERVATIONS

Cool Hand Luke: Coach Gary Good is probably the most laid back head coach I have ever seen. He coaches under control (if that makes sense). He never looks stressed on the sidelines. He never looked too upset when things weren't going his way. During timeouts, he just grabbed up the clipboard and drew up plays. It was just simple basketball, and his players responded, big. I never have met Coach Goode, but he looks like the type of guy you could approach and have a nice conversation with.

One for the Little Guys: The Bardstown Tigers are in the state tournament. Being one of the smallest schools in the state, I can hear all of the small schools around the Commonwealth cheering for them next week. They may be joined by the likes of Hazard and University Heights. Maybe we can crown a small school champs this year.

Good Sportsmanship: As the Central Hardin team headed back to their locker room, I noticed several of the Elizabethtown High boy's team congratulating them on a hard fought game. As cross town rivals, I thought this was a real nice gesture by the Panther team.

I'm Laying Down the Pencil: The season is over for me. I hope folks have enjoyed what I have contributed to Pick and Roll. I will be at the state tournament, but I think I will let Pick and Roll report on those games. I plan on doing this again next year (if you will have me). Thanks for reading, and I hope you check back during the state and next year.

Editor's Note: Pick and Roll is here to stay. The response has been tremendous, and I've had a blast putting it all together. It's as simple as this: I love basketball. It is the most beautiful, athletic, and pleasing of all the sports. The motion, the precision, the skill, the athletic ability, the excitement make it dang near perfect. I think Chris shares my feelings about basketball. I will be reporting from the Sweet Sixteen, and I hope I'm up for 15 basketball games in four days. I hope I can write coherent reports from "SexyLexy."

Pick and Roll might be dormant throughout the summer, but things will get going again for football season. I actually "kicked" Pick and Roll off in November with reports on a couple of Bowling Green football games. I guess I'll subtitle it "The Pennyrile Hook and Ladder" for the pigskin season. After the Sweet Sixteen I plan to post something about the future of Pick and Roll.

Fifth Region All Tournament Team

Clint Henderson - Green County
Chase Cox - Taylor County
Jesse Beavers - Nelson County
Christian Seymour - Larue County
Chris Gohman - Elizabethtown
Sean Bouthilette - Elizabethtown
Darrin Ballou - Adair County
Kalen Kimberland - Adair County
Daniel Linder - Central Hardin
Chris Nichols - Central Hardin
Tony Harding - Central Hardin
Demarco Phillips - Bardstown
Damian Edelen - Bardstown
Jordan Hickman - Bardstown
Corey Hall - Bardstown

Corey Hall was named MVP with a 22.6 point average

Fourth Region Championship, E.A. Diddle Arena, Western Kentucky University

2008-03-11T21:36:00.005-05:00

Tuesday, March 10, 2008

Greenwood 57 - Bowling Green 49

I think most everyone that has played basketball or follows the sport understands the phrase "rubber match." It's usually used to describe the third meeting of opponents who have played twice and split the outcomes. Even though Bowling Green and Greenwood played four times this season and split them 2-2, I think Tuesday's Fourth Region championship game could be called a rubber match. It was a re-match of the 14th District Championship, which the Purples won 45-42. They played three times during the regular season, and the Gators won two of those games. The teams are fairly evenly matched.

Tuesday's championship would be a test of wills.

The two teams played evenly throughout the first half. The score was tied at 13 at the end of the first quarter. Dee Anderson seemed like he was going to do it all for the Gators with five points and four big rebounds. He was exerting himself against Bowling Green's D.L. Moore on the boards, even though Anderson is four inches shorter than the Purples' center. It was going to be a tough game.

In the second quarter, the two teams went back-and-forth with the lead. Bowling Green was able to contain Anderson, but Greenwood has a lot of tools on the offensive end of the court. Mark Lacy, Austin Reed, and J.J. Smith contributed for the Gators in the second quarter. Bowling Green, however, spread out their scoring the second and stayed with Greenwood. Charlie Williams gave the Purps the lead, 25-24, at halftime.

In the second half, Greenwood came out with the intensity on both ends of the court needed to win a regional championship. They played tough. They played to win. Bowling Green never really responded very well to the Gators' amped up play. In the third quarter, the Purples' defense was flat footed, and they slapped at the Greenwood players too much. The Gators emerged from the third with a 38-33 lead after outscoring Bowling Green 14-8 in the third.

I sensed it. Greenwood's players had an intensity that the Bowling Green's players seemed to lack. It was a honing intensity that allowed them to do everything right. Greenwood is scrappy, and they were going to fight to win the championship.

Things got a little ugly near the end of the game. Greenwood had the lead, so the Purples had to foul to get the ball back. The officials whistled them for intentional fouls on more than a couple of possessions. I have to ask this, aren't all fouls at the end of the game intentional? At least one of the calls was questionable. When Andre "Snoop" Graham fouled Mark Lacy at half court, he grabbed Lacy's uniform to keep him from falling after he fouled him. The ref called it intentional. I thought it was bogus.

I will say that Graham sort of set the tone earlier when he took a Greenwood player down onto the scorer's table. It made the officials on the ready to call the intentional foul. The calls down the stretch gave Bowling Green no chance to stop Greenwood, but, mostly, they made a difference in the final score and not the outcome.

Greenwood advances to the Sweet Sixteen with a 57-49 victory of Bowling Green. They take the season series 3-2. I missed only one of those five games. I missed the game in the Holiday Classic in December when the Gators and the Purples tangled for third place in the tournament.

D.L. Moore finished the game with 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Purples, and Jarren Nixon scored 12 points and grabbed four boards. Bowling Green shot 1-12 from behind the arc, but killed Greenwood on the boards, 38-21. They out-rebounded the Gators 19-5 on the offensive boards.

Dee Anderson was the Player of the Game, and he had 15 points and 12 rebounds. Anderson, who is a sophomore, made big plays in Tuesday's game. He had more than half of Greenwood's 21 rebounds, and he is 6'2". Mark Lacy added 14 points for the Gators, and J.J. Smith had 10.

OBSERVATIONS

A March Day: My family are Hilltopper fans. I got home from work to find my family watching the Lady Topper's down MTSU in the Sunbelt Championship game this afternoon. We picked up and went to Diddle for tonight's championship game. We came home and watched WKU's men win the Sunbelt Championship, also over MTSU, to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Folks, that's spring in Kentucky. In there somewhere, I shot baskets with my little boy.

Saying Goodbye?: I'm not ready to shut down the Pick and Roll. Next week I will be in Lexington for the Sweet Sixteen, and I will be giving updates at the end of the sessions. They won't be nearly as detailed, but I hope I can capture some of the flavor of Kentucky's Mardis Gras. Stay with me folks.

However, there are some farewells. I've enjoyed watching the Fourth Region games this season, and I've become a big fan of a lot of the players and coaches in this region. There are a lot of tough competitors in the region, and it makes me sad to see some of them go. Some I will get to see next season, but others will move on and move up. I kind of hate to see it all wind down. I'll miss spending Friday afternoon trying to figure which game I'm going to go see. I've had a blast, but it's not quite over.

Sleepy, Sleepy: the KHSAA official at tonight's championship game caught up on some much needed sleep. I saw him at the press table nodding off when they tipped it up tonight. I hope he catches up on things by reading the Pennyrile Pick and Roll.

All Tournament Team

Tim Coffey - Russell County
Rayco Bryant - Franklin-Simpson
Bryon Ellis - Russell County
Matt Riley - Barren County
Donnie Bigbee - Russellville
Bryson McFall - Russell County
Jarrett Jenkins - Greenwood
Billey Williams - Bowling Green
Tevin Barksdale - Bowling Green
Dee Anderson - Greenwood
J.J. Smith - Greenwood
Lee Hubbard - Barren County
D.L. Moore - Bowling Green
Mark Lacy - Greenwood

Fifth Region Tournament, Hart County High School, Munfordville, Kentucky

2008-03-11T07:19:00.003-05:00

Monday, March 10, 2008

By Chris Gregory, Fifth Region Correspondent

Game One: Central Hardin 63 - Adair County 58

I am a huge fan of high school basketball if you haven't noticed by now, and I really don't have any connections with any certain team or players other than friends I've made during the season. But, in the last week or so it's been hard not to root for some of them. I like the underdogs, and I like coaches who have never been in situations like this before.

For instance, Central Hardin Coach J.C. Wright has put his time in on the sidelines in Cecilia. He and his team are the hottest things going in the Fifth Region. Monday night they were trying to get into the finals for the first time in school history. They've already accomplished one big feat this year by winning the 17th district tournament, a district loaded with good teams year in and year out.

The local odds maker who sat near me during the game told me that he liked Central in this game, against the defending Fifth Region champs. Adair has a good ball club, and I knew it would be a good game.

Adair controlled the tip and got the opening bucket. As usual, the Indians were very patient and looked for the best possible shot. Central was quick to run, wanting to get the upper hand by controlling the tempo. The Bruins had the hot hand in the first two minutes of the game, hitting every shot they attempted. Most were three pointers. On the defensive end, the front row fans were getting a lot of action because of the deflections by the Bruins. Central Hardin was building a lead, and I had only seen Adair play from behind one time this season. It wasn't good. It was when they played University Heights in the King of the Bluegrass, and they lost the game. Central Hardin was running past the Indians, leading after one, 25-14.

Adair County is loaded with talent. Three players were on the all region team, and Mark Fudge was Coach of the Year. They were not going to give in that easy. They did cut it to six points early in the second, but Central had a weapon in Daniel Linder, who was begging for the ball. He had the hot hand. They pushed the lead back to ten, and fans around me said that Adair would cut it in half by halftime. They did, thanks to Tony Harding making the "Charlie Brown Blockhead Play of the Game." He fouled Kalen Kimberland with 3.6 seconds left in the half. Kimberland made the layup and the following free throw. Central Hardin had the slim lead of 36-31 at halftime.

I thought Adair County had just played the worst half of basketball I had seen them play, and they were only down five. I have seen Adair play many more times than Central. I really didn't know the fire power Central Hardin possessed. Like I said, they have been the hottest team over the last few weeks in the Fifth. They picked a good time to come out of hibernation and put together a winning streak.

I wish high school basketball had its own TV station because this game would make an instant classic. The Indians had one more run in them. They just weren't going to roll over and play dead against the Bruins. Adair County kept their heads and knew they had it in them to win the game. Corey Helm, who was off the mark most of the night, hit huge back-to-back threes and tied the game with 2:29 to go. This would be the last run they could make. Central Hardin just wanted it more, and they deserved the victory. Adair County couldn't execute in the closing minutes. Central won by five, and we will have a new Fifth Region champion.

OBSERVATIONS

Huh? What'd ya say?: I hope Hart County uses the gate money they got this week to get a new PA system. It's horrible! The lady running the PA was OK, but I couldn't hear her. She sounded a lot like Charlie Brown's teacher, "wha wha, wha, wha." If you didn't know the players' names when they scored, you weren't going to hear it, either. Buck up Hart County!"

The Poppa Bear: Congratulations to J.C. Wright and his staff. This is the season that Central Hardin fans have waited. They are hot "WRIGHT" now. I feel like this team has been under the radar all year. They have a killer 1-3-1 zone defense, and teams find it hard to crack. Most fans I came across this season never mentioned the Bruins. It was always Adair, North or Bardstown as the favorites. I know they have not won the big game yet, but I'm just sying no one had them going this far.

Go Volunteers!: No not the ones in Knoxville. The Munfordville Fire and Rescue was in charge of the parking and did a great job. They probably don't get to see any of the games, but they were out there making sure your car was safe. They did slack up when people were leaving, which was kind of crazy. They should have helped out on that end as well. Overall, good job.

Game Two: Bardstown 52 - Elizabethtown 50

Folkls, these games are taking a toll on me. The excitement has been great for all of them, but the last game of the semifinals might have been the most excitement I've seen all year. If you have read the Pick and Roll all year, you know I have said to never give up on a James Haire coached team. They knocked off Green County in the first round, and they were ready to square off with the Runnin' Tigers of Bardstown in the semifinals.

Battle of the City Schools! Bardstown jumped out on E-town very quickly, and it looked like this game was oing to be over before we got out of the first quarter. The Tigers have great ball movement, and it had the Panthers gasping for air. Coach Haire had to use a timeout befor ethis game got out of hand. E-town managed just four points in the first quarter, and they were down by 11.

E-town showed some life in the second quarter. It may have been because the E-town girls team showed up after winning their final earlier on Monday. Chris "Go Go" Gohman was on a roll again tonight. He had his hands all over the ball. I didn't keep up with steals, but he must have hd a bunch. Bardstown helped E-town by not making any field goals for about two minutes. That seemed like a long time in this fast paced game. By the end of the second, E-town had cut the Tiger lead to four. Never count out a James Haire coached team. The Panthers were hanging tough in a physical game. The halftime score was 28-24, Bardstown.

Teams don't win a state championship just by the talent they have on the floor. James Haire is a great coach, and I have heard over the years that he can prepare for any team. He made adjustments at the half, and Panthers came out in the third ready to upset the Tigers. I call this an upset because most people had Bardstown in a landslide. E-town was in control, and everything was going in their favor. The tempo was a big factor in the third. At the 2:40 mark, E-town had their first lead of the night. I could see the momentum shift to the Panthers. The Bardstown fans seemed to wilt in their seats; E-town was not ready for this season to be over with.

I could spend an hour writing on the fourth quarter alone. It's the best quarter of basketball I've seen all this year. This game had been tight since the start of the third, and the fourth was going to be a slug-fest. Both teams were trading buckets and someone had to make a stop. E-town struck first, forcing Bardstown into a couple of turnovers. With a two point lead with 1:30 to go, E-town had the momentum once again, but, all of sudden, Bardstown stepped it up and tied it again with 25.2 to go.

Elizabethtown came down to their end of the floor and was going for the game winner. They turned the ball over. They fouled Bardstown's Demarco Phillips with 10.2 seconds to go in regulation.

Were we headed to overtime?

After Phillips missed both free throws, I thought were were. The Panthers grabbed the missed free throw and headed down the floor with time running down. At half court, Bardstown's Corey Hall, the senior leader, stole the ball, ran down the floor, and hit the game winning layup with 1.8 seconds to go. E-town's crowd just dropped in their seats, and the Bardstown fans rushed the floor. They were headed to the finals on a last second layup. It just gave me cold chills again writing about it.

Bardstown pulls out a very exciting game, 52-20.

OBSERVATIONS

Cheerleading 101: I have to give it up to the Bardstown student section. They were fantastic again tonight. The stuff they come up with is great. I was thinking that cheerleading must be 6th period over there in Bardstown. It's hard to put into word, but I will try. One cheer all the students lock arms and sway back and forth. Four guys stand up and the pep band strikes up the old Beach Boys tune "Surfin' USA," and it looks like the four guys are surfing in the crowd. Another one is the boxing match. One students comes out with head gear and gloves and stands on the floor. He the shadow boxes the crowd and they act like they're getting punched. Then, the student with the gloves connects with the KO punch. The whole crowd hollers "KO, KO, KO" to the E-town fans. It even had the refs smiling during a timeout.

The End Zone is the Place to Be: Hart County High has bleachers in one end of their gym. This is where the real fans sit. I sat there most of the tournament. It's full of old players, current coaches, and fans of basketball. Me being a youngster in the group, I learned a lot with the "Older Guys." I also handed out a lot of cards for this website. So, hello first time readers, welcome to our crazy basketball world.

Apologies from Pick and Roll: Chris sent me his story, and I was going to post it this morning. Pick and Roll is an early riser, which is the result of starting my working life in the grocery produce business. I had to meet deliveries at 4 a.m., and I walked to work (up hill both ways). When we switch back to Daylight Savings Time, I'm thrown for a loop. I slept too late this morning to get to Chris's excellent coverage, and I had to meet someone in Murray early in the morning. I apologize.

I quote the great philosopher, Grandpa Jones, "Daylight Savings Time is like cutting one end off a blanket and sewing it on the other to make it longer." By the way, did you know that Louis "Grandpa" Jones was born in Henderson County, Kentucky, but they always billed him as "The old man from the mountains..." I've been the Henderson County, thousands of times, but I have yet to see a mountain.

As always, Pick and Roll readers are appreciated.

Fourth Region Tournament, E.A. Diddle Arena, Western Kentucky University

2008-03-10T22:51:00.003-05:00

Monday, March 10, 2008

Game One: Bowling Green 57 - Russell County 48
Semifinal

A lot of people I talk to think that Bowling Green likes to run and gun on the basketball court. I've never found that to be the case this season. Most of Bowling Green's I've watched have been low scoring affairs. I find this to be true: as goes the Purples' defense so goes the Purples. If they play tough defense, they can dictate the tempo and control the game. If they get lazy on the defensive end, they struggle and usually lose.

Monday night, I saw a little of both of Bowling Green tonight. Their defense came in flashes, but it was never quite enough to finish off the Lakers until the late in the game.

Bowling Green and Russell County seem to be on the opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of style of play. Bowling Green attacks the basket and looks to slash into the lane to create offense. Russell County is methodical. Bowling Green is athletic while Russell County depends on fundamental basketball to get them through a game. I always love to see these two kinds of teams square off against one another, especially when advancing in a regional tournament is at stake.

Russell County made it to the semifinals last season and met their end against Warren Central. The steady play and experience of players like Bryon Ellis, Bryson McFall, and Timmy Coffey made the Lakers a tough opponent, especially for a Jekyll and Hyde team like the Purples.

Bowling Green pressed and played man-to-man throughout the ballgame, but the Lakers kept finding ways through the pressure. They're also good at drawing fouls.

D.L. Moore never made his athletic ability an issue for the Lakers until later in the game. He wasn't getting rebounds and he wasn't working for his shots. It doesn't matter if Lebron James laces up against the Russell County brand of Lakers, he's going to have to work for his shots. Their zone defense has no holes in it, and they collapse on the ball like a Las Vegas hotel that's outlived its usefulness.

Russell County outplayed the Purples in the first half and took a 24-22 lead to the break.

The two teams played even in the third quarter, each scoring 14 points.

They played back-and-forth to open the fourth quarter, but I noticed that Russell County showed signs of fatigue. Bowling Green Coach D.G. Sherrill shuttled players in and out of the ballgame so much that my head was spinning, but the Lakers didn't have as many bodies to throw out on the court.

The Purples controlled the fourth quarter, outscoring Russell County 21-10. They advanced to the regional final with a 57-48 victory.

Tevin Barksdale was Player of the Game and had 16 points. Billey "Lando" Williams had 14 points and Jarren Nixon had 11.

For the Lakers, Bryon Ellis had 16 points, and this kid would not back down. He really earned my admiration in this game, this tournament, and even from last year's tournament.

OBSERVATIONS

Bowling Green Fan Support: Quicksand offers better support. The Purps has some great fans, and I don't want to bust on the ones who show up for the games. There were very few students there tonight. I've seen more student support at a chess club match. Greenwood will have 30 times the number of students at tomorrow's championship game than Bowling Green.

March Madness: I was watching games on the court. I was trying to catch parts of the Middle Tennessee-South Alabama game on the televisions in Diddle Arena. It's just not enough to keep up with one or two or three games on a March evening. It's Kentucky's Mardis Gras! I can't imagine not keeping up with basketball in March.

Armies of Cheerleaders: My gosh! When I was in high school, Male High had six or seven cheerleaders. Now, schools have scads of them. Between games tonight at Diddle Arena the four schools had about 30 cheerleaders a piece trying to get out of or get into the end zones at the arena. I read where every fifth person in the world is Chinese, but I'm starting to think that every fourth person in the world is a cheerleader.

That reminds me of a funny cheerleader story. At Male High, our cheerleaders did this cheer on the court in which they shouted, WE ARE...MALE BULLDOGS! Just think about that a second and listen to it in your head. I always laughed out loud.

Game Two: Greenwood 67 - Barren County 65

A few more broken hearts went into the asphalt for the Road to Rupp on Monday night. These hearts were from Barren County, and either Bowling Green or Greenwood will drive right over those broken hearts on I-65 when their bus trucks them up to Lexington.

Greenwood pounced on Barren County early. They played tenacious man-to-man defense and kept constant pressure on the ball. They took a commanding 9-2 lead on Barren County, but the Trojans made a run of their own, and all was not lost. Greenwood had a 15-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.

From there, Barren County outplayed the Gators through most of the rest of the game. Although Lee Hubbard was scoreless in the first quarter, he strapped his Trojan teammates to his back and carried them through the second quarter, scoring 12 of Barren County's 17 points in the frame. Greenwood held on to a 30-27 lead at halftime. Mark Lacy, who doesn't look to score a lot of points for the Gators, led the Greenwood scoring with a 11 first half points.

The second half made for a classic basketball game. Both teams went after each other with the tenacity that is only reserved for post season play. I'd have to say that Monday's semifinal game was the best game I've seen all season.

It resulted in a heart breaker for Barren County, though. I felt like they outplayed Greenwood through most of the game. They outscored them in the second and third quarters and built a 65-60 lead with just a couple of minutes left in the game. They quit attacking the basket, though, and seemed like they wanted to put it in the deep freeze. That's a dangerous decision against Greenwood because the Gators are so very quick. Mark Lacy and Austin Reed (Thing 1 and Thing 2) are too quick and too well equipped to always have to pass back to the point against them. Not only are they quick, but they have great leaping ability. One would think it would be easy to throw over them, but that is a terribly wrong assumption.

Greenwood went after the Trojans like a wicked band of Spartans. Barren County's five point lead evaporated, and their hope of advancing to take on Bowling Green evaporated. Greenwood bookended the game with a first quarter flurry and a fourth quarter rally and won, 67-65.

Mark Lacy was Player of the Game and scored 22 points while dealing out six assists. J.J. Smith added 13 points along with Dee Anderson.

OBSERVATIONS

Lee Hubbard Fan Club: Count me as a member. Hubbard scored 22 points on Monday night and grabbed nine rebounds. This guy would be a steal for Campbellsville or Lindsey Wilson. I could see him getting significant minutes for the Austin Peays of the world. At the end of each Barren County game, teammates, opponents, cheerleaders, coaches, equipment managers, and whoever kneel at the jump circle and Lee leads them in a prayer. I've enjoyed watching him play.

The Joint Was Jumpin: The Barren County fans and the Greenwood fans are great. They are loud, too. My ears are still ringing after tonight's ballgame.

Ben Hubbard Update: Regular Pick and Roll readers will recall my report on Barren County's Ben Hubbard hitting his head on the court and walking around in a daze afterward. It was a scary moment. He played tonight, and when Dee Anderson fouled him on a layup, he made the shot. The Barren County fans gave him a standing ovation.

Fourth Region Tournament: The folks that put this thing together do a fantastic job. It's great basketball in a great venue and a lot of great people doing a lot of hard work. I'm always sad to see it shut down and tomorrow will be the championship between Bowling Green and Greenwood.

Fourth Region Tournament (Girls), E.A. Diddle Arena, Western Kentucky University

2008-03-08T18:39:00.002-06:00

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Franklin-Simpson 49 - Bowling Green 37
Fourth Region Championship Game

This is a first for the Pennyrile Pick and Roll. I was able to make it to an entire girls basketball game today, and I've lived to write about it. That's a joke. I have nothing against girls basketball. I never write about it because I have my limitations, and I have this crazy thing that a lot of people call a "job." No, I'm not talking about the "Job" of the Old Testament; I'm talking about the "job" that keeps Pick and Roll old and testy. I have to draw the line somewhere or I would spend too much time watching basketball. While I believe there's no such thing, my wife does. I apologize to fans of girls basketball because I sacrifice it to keep up with boys basketball.

If any readers wonder what goes into Pick and Roll decision making, click here to see some video of our last editorial staff meeting.

The Franklin-Simpson Lady Wildcats have been a team on a mission for the entire season. Coming into Saturday afternoon's game, they had only two blemishes on their record in 33 ballgames. They dropped a game to Muhlenberg North on December 28th in the Greenwood Classic, and they lost to Henderson by five on January 19th in the Shooting Star Classic at Muhlenberg North.

They took on the Lady Purples from Bowling Green, who beat a tough Barren County team on Friday night to reach the finals. The Lady Purples had something to prove, carrying a 22-10 records into the championship.

In the first quarter, it seemed like neither team would ever break the ice and score. They were nearly three minutes into the game before Cheyenne Brown scored for the Lady Wildcats. Bowling Green's Erica Smith and Alexis Lawrence responded with back-to-back three pointers, and it seemed that the Lady Purples had thrown down a challenge to Franklin-Simpson. the two teams traded basket and more than made up for the lack of scoring in the first three minutes of the game. Franklin-Simpson had a 12-8 lead.

The Lady Wildcats had a devil of a time with traveling calls early in the game. I guess they were over-anxious and started their moves before putting the ball on the floor. It can be tricky, and the calls made me realize why I'd hate to be a referee.

Bowling Green tied the game at 12, but the Lady Wildcats went on an 18-6 run and took a commanding 30-16 lead at halftime.

Franklin-Simpson's Kelleshia Cook, who's going to play college ball in COOKville, Tennesee, is a very good basketball player. Anytime there's chaos on Franklin's defensive end, Kelleshia Cook is going to be involved in it somehow. She makes important plays on that end of the court and out hustles everyone on the court. She gets to the loose balls. She gets the ball as it's going out-of-bounds when the other team has given up on it. She seems to be everywhere. She finished the game with five steals, which was half of the team's total.

The early part of the third quarter went badly for Bowling Green. They were frustrated and seemed to lose their composure. Kelleshia Cook hit a three pointer that put the Lady Wildcats up 42-22, and it seemed that they were going to crush the Purples like a big juicy grape. That wasn't the case. Bowling Green rallied and closed the quarter with an 8-2 run. They matched Franklin in the third with each team scoring 14 points.

Franklin-Simpson took control in the middle of the fourth quarter. Bowling Green trimmed the lead, but the Lady Wildcats went into an impressive stall offense that kept the Lady Purples' defense rushing around the court. They ran a lot of time off the clock and won the championship with a 49-37 victory.

Franklin-Simpson had three players with 13 points: Dominique Cook, Kelleshia Cook, and Chastity Gooch. Apparently, you had to have double o's in your name to score in double digits for the Lady Wildcats on Saturday. I guess Drea Gooch didn't get the memo because she only had four points.

Erica Smith led the Purples in scoring with 16 points. Bowling Green only shot 26.7% from the field and was a miserable 3-17 from beyond the arc. They shot 20% in the first half. They did out rebound the Lady Wildcats, 31-28, and had 15 offensive boards, which can be expected when a team has a terrible shooting night.

Franklin-Simpson's road to the Sweet Sixteen will be a short one -- in distance. The Girls' Sweet Sixteen is played at Diddle Arena starting on Wednesday. The Lady Wildcats play at 6:30 on Thursday evening and will play the Eighth Region Champ, which won't be decided until Monday night.

OBSERVATIONS

Purple Purpus: That's not a typographical error. The Lady Purples has a player with the last name of "Purpus." Purple's Purpus Plays with Purpose. Man! Say that three times real fast.

The All-Geography Team: Kristie Nation, Cumberland County; Cecilia Smith, Bowling Green; Katie Covington, Todd County; Savannah Hilliard, Franklin-Simpson; and Cheyenne Brown, Franklin-Simpson. That makes me wonder how many times a pass for the Lady Wildcats goes from Cheyenne to Savannah.

Superman Villain: Lex Lindsey? Oh, wait, that's Lex Luther, and although Coach Lindsey is a basketball genius, he's no villain. He seems to be a heck of a nice guy. He stomps on the court every time he wants the attention of his team. It startled me whenever he did it this afternoon. I'm worried that Lex is going to end up with shin splints if he's not careful. WKU might send him a bill for the repair of a few boards of the Diddle Arena floor, though.

Not Too Many Cooks in Franklin's Kitchen: The Lady Wildcats have Dominique Cook and Kelleshia Cook for players, but they also have Kelly Cook on the bench as an assistant coach. No one complains about too many Cooks in the kitchen in Franklin.

Pick and Roll Breaks Routine: I travel a lot during the week, and the driving can really wear these tired bones down. I like to press the couch on Saturday afternoons and usually drift off in a nap watching a couple of football schools play basketball on television. Four in the afternoon is prime nap time, but I was at Diddle instead. That's after sledding with my children for four hours on Saturday.

All Tournament Team

I must apologize because I missed one name as it was announced.

Alexis Lawrence - Bowling Green
Arial McKinney - Bowling Green
Paige Lee - Glasgow
Charli Fant - Glasgow
Erica Smith - Bowling Green
Brittany Payne - Franklin-Simpson
Courtney Thomas - Barren County
Kelsey Mitchell (Freshman) - Barren County
Dominique Cook - Franklin-Simpson
Ashley Rainey - Warren East
Chastity Gooch - Franklin-Simpson
Laura Fletcher - Cumberland County
Arienne Tarrence (Freshman) - Bowling Green
Kelleshia Cook - Franklin-Simpson

Fifth Region Tournament, Hart County High School, Munfordville, Kentucky

2008-03-07T06:48:00.003-06:00

Thursday, March 6, 2008

By Chris Gregory, Fifth Region Correspondent

Game One: Elizabethtown 55 - Green County 48

Well, we're through the first round of the Fifth Region tournament. On Wednesday things went as planned with both top seeds winning. Thursday night, though, things would be more interesting because these teams were ready to get it on with one another.

Underdogs leave it all on the floor come tournament time. I love the way kids play hard for their schools. Most of them know they will not play at the next level, so they make the most of it this time of year.

The first game was between Green County and Elizabethtown. This game was a hard one to call. I really didn't know who would win this game, and at the start it looked like no one wanted it. Both were stone cold from the field. It was a very ugly game. One must take into consideration that no one on either roster has played in a regional game. The last time E-town was in the regional tournament most of these players were freshman and sophomores and didn't dress varsity. Green County is making their second appearance in 11 years. The coaches, on the other hand, have been in the regionals before. If you know about the Fifth Region, then you've heard of James Haire. He's been to plenty of tournament games. Toby Curry, Green County's coach, has been there before but only as a player. He led his 1995 Adair County squad to the Fifth Region championship game.

The coaches know how important this game is, but do the players?

Like I stated above, this one was ugly in the first half. The tempo favored E-town, but they could not find the bucket. In fact, no on could find it. I started to think that someone had put a lid on the goals. It was the lowest scoring first quarter I've seen all year. E-town led 6-4. That's not a misprint.

The second quarter was about the same with not much going on. Both teams had a lot of turnovers and missed field goals. Something had to give. Green County came into this game as one of the best scoring offenses in the state, but E-town was near the top in scoring defense. I kept waiting for something to happen. Finally, Green County made a "run" by this game's standards. They ran off four points. I mean this game was UGLY. Green County had the halftime lead, 16-15, in what was a struggle for both teams.

The Panthers stepped up the "D" in the third, and the scoring heated up as well. It actually turned into a shoot-fest between E-town's Chris "Go-Go" Gohman and Green County's Clint Henderson. These guys swapped shots like Pamela Anderson swaps husbands. It was turning into a game for a change. Green still hung onto the lead, 36-33.

Chris Gohman owned the fourth quarter and finished the game with 33 points, including six made free throws under 3:00 left in the game. Elizabethtown came back after trailing most of the game to knock out the first district champ of the tournament. They won 55-48.

OBSERVATIONS

Panthers in Charge: Elizabethtown controlled the tempo of this game from the tap. Green County wanted to run, but the Panthers would not let them. Even though the Dragons led most of the game, E-town never panicked and at the right moment took charge. They put Green County away, holding them well below their average of 70 points a game.

These Seats are Reserved: The E-town student section settled into their seats. All of them were sitting down minding their own business and not bothering anyone. Then, an administrator from Hart County made them move. They were in one end zone of the gym, and I guess it wasn't the right place for them to sit. This set off the E-town athletic director, and he told his students to get rowdy early. They booed the administrator every time he came around.

Going Back for Seconds: Folks, Hart County High School may have the best concession stand I've seen in a long time. On Wednesday I reported on the nachos supreme. Tonight, I took a closer look at the menu. To my surprise, they had homemade fried apple pies. Ah, man! They weren't as good as my Mamaw Gregory's but darn close. Editor's Note: I've had Mamaw Gregory's fried apple pies, so now I'm angling to join Chris at the Fifth Region tournament.

Second Game: Bardstown 72 - Taylor County 66

When the draw came out I knew this game would be a shoot-out. That was an understatement. I got so caught up in this game that I forgot to look at the score after the buzzer sounded. I do know that Bardstown had the lead. Both teams shot out the lights.

I hadn't seen a game like this all year. Each team had an answer for the other. Corey hall for Bardstown got things rolling early when he connected for five three pointers in the first half. His counterpart, Chase Cox, matched him shot-for-shot. He had four threes at the break, and Bardstown had a 37-28 lead.

I don't think these teams wanted to go to the locker room for halftime. They were afraid they might cool off. That was not the case. They started the third right where they left off. This game was living up to the hype people talked about all week. It's a shame that one of these teams had to lose. The game was like a ping-pong match, very fast paced. It seemed like it only took an hour to play this entire game. I looked back at the first half and the teams combined for 11 three point goals.

Taylor County worked the interior game as well. Leonard Macon was a force down low, and made Bardstown adjust many shots. He picked up about four or five blocks and scored at will. They just didn't give it to him enough. By this time, Bardstown had a five point lead, but Taylor County had one more run in them. With four minutes left in the game, Macon had a monster slam and the crowd went nuts. I thought it might be the turning point for Taylor, but Bardstown was too tough and won a great game, 72-66.

OBSERVATIONS

When It Rains it Pours: Tonight, I witnessed one of the best shooting displays I have ever seen. These teams combined for 19 made three point baskets. Corey Hall finished with six and so did Chase Cox. Cox is only a junior, so look out next year.

I'm Proud of My Mama: The Bardstown student section is led by "The Big Mamas." They are parents, aunts, and alumni who still have school spirit. They come up with all of the cheers and not ashamed of getting down with the students. I think they brought the whole school with them tonight. Although cold at times with chants like "maybe next year" and "so long seniors," they are fun to watch.

Really. Maybe Next Year: Taylor County loses only two players from this year's team. One is a reserve and the other is a starter. But their man two will be back. So, maybe the Bardstown fans were right, maybe next year. With Chase "Gunner" Cox at the helm and a big presence down low with Macon, Taylor County will be back to fight another year.

The semi-finals will be on Monday night so look for more reports.

Fourth Region Tournament, E.A. Diddle Arena, Western Kentucky University

2008-03-06T22:58:00.002-06:00

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Game One: Greenwood 46 - Franklin-Simpson 31

Franklin-Simpson played Thursday's first round game with Greenwood with all the control of a Molly Hatchet song. Those wild-eyed Southern rockers always seemed to be out-of-control and sort of...well..."Flirtin With Disaster." High energy. Raw. If I was going to put a soundtrack with their game, I'd choose that song. I guess by the end of the game, I'd have to throw in Hatchet's song "Gator Country" or even "Dreams I'll Never See."

A little side note: A friend's mother was a professional singer and did vocals for commercials and radio promotions. She was in a recording session down the hall from Molly Hatchet when the band erupted into a drunken fracas that spilled out into the hallways of the recording label's offices.

The Wildcats played out-of-control for the entire game against the Gators. Both teams played tight defense in the first quarter, and Greenwood emerged with a narrow 10-7 lead. Greenwood scored 10 more points in the second quarter while holding Franklin-Simpson to just five points. The Wildcats shot 23.5% in the first half, making 4 of 17 field goals. They had 13 first half turnovers, but Greenwood had 11. The Wildcats were lucky to be down only eight, 20-12 at halftime. Cedrick Adams led Franklin-Simpson in scoring with three points. Dee Anderson led the Gators with five points.

The turnover bug continued to plague the Wildcats in the third quarter when they coughed the ball up six more times. Greenwood only had two turnovers in the third. Even though Franklin-Simpson couldn't control the ball, they outscored Greenwood in the third quarter by one point, 11-10. The Gators put 10 points on the board in the three quarters of play and held a 30-23 lead.

Greenwood controlled the fourth quarter and made Franklin-Simpson look bad. They forced the Wildcats to commit seven more turnovers, which made 26 for the entire game.

At the very start of the season, I explained to Pick and Roll readers that Southern women will not say that a baby is ugly. They cannot lie, either. When they see an ugly baby they say, "Bless its little heart." That's what the women down in Franklin would say about this "baby" tonight. It was ugly. It was mud fence ugly for the Wildcats.

Greenwood advances with a 46-31 win over Franklin-Simpson.

Rayco Bryant had 17 points and nine rebounds for Franklin-Simpson, while the next highest scorers were Courtney Dalcourt and Cedrick Adams with only three a piece. For Greenwood, J.J. Smith was the Player of the Game, and he scored 11 points while making some big plays down the stretch. Austin Reed and Mark Lacy each added seven points for the Gators.

Game Two: Barren County 60 - Metcalfe County 45

I finally got to see Trey Shirley play. I saw Metcalfe County play at Warren East on January 12th, which was a couple of days after Shirley was hospitalized with a serious illness. It was good to see him back out on the court, and he scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds before fouling out of Thursday's contest. He's a solid ballplayer.

Barren County and Metcalfe County are natural and intense rivals. They flat out do not like each other. When Metcalfe County came out of the locker room for pre-game warm ups, the Barren County players did not move out of their way. The players brushed shoulders and there were no friendly words exchanged between them.

The Trojans took control of this game early. They took an early lead and never looked back.

Metcalfe County played a 2-3 zone, and Trey Shirley patrolled the baseline of the zone. Whenever Blake Crabtree got the ball on the low wing, Shirley would yell at him, "Shoot it! Shoot it! Shoot it!" I guess he finally got under Crabtree's skin because he let one fly that bounced off the rim and backboard into Shirley's hands.

I've written about this before, but I can remember when players talked to one another all the time. There's hardly a word spoken on the court anymore. Players don't even yell at teammates when they're open.

Barren County's Lee Hubbard is a heck of a basketball player. He's one of those guys that I'd make sure I had on my team if I were choosing up sides. He can shoot from anywhere, and he is muscular and knows how to use his strength to get to the basket. He's also a good defender. He scored 21 points against the Hornets and grabbed nine rebounds. He also had four steals and two assists. I don't know if any colleges are recruiting him, and I don't really care. There are some guys who are great in high school but can't make the transition to the college game. Lee Hubbard is consistently the best player in the Fourth Region.

Will Warf led the Hornets in scoring with 16 points. Outside of Warf and Shirley, Metcalfe County didn't have many scoring threats.

Barren County, on the other hand, is a solid basketball team. They are solid at every position and have good, experienced guards. Matt Riley has a great sense of the game and is good at breaking down any kind of pressure. The Trojans have all the tools needed to advance to the final, win the region, and truck up the highway to Rupp Arena. They have to get past those pesky big lizards from Scottsville Road in Bowling Green, though. They play Greenwood on Monday night.

At the end of the game, when both coaches cleared their benches, we had a scary incident in the game. Ben Hubbard, Lee's younger brother, got a break away layup, but somehow got upended when Metcalfe's Russell Kindred blocked his shot. He hit his head on the court. I didn't really see what happened because it was on the opposite end of the court from where I was sitting.

I followed the action back up the court, but noticed that Hubbard was staggering around out on the court. He weaved around and came over and leaned against the press table, near where I was sitting. His eyes were dancing. The poor guy was knocked silly. Coach Steve Riley came over and retrieved the young man.

I guess he was alright. It's been a long time since I've seen someone knocked silly.

OBSERVATIONS

Funny Diddle Memory: When I was a student at Western, the men's restroom had round metal sinks in the middle of the room. Someone who needed to wash their hands stepped on a metal bar, which turned on the water. I never witnessed it myself, but I've heard stories about men stepping up to the sink thinking it was a urinal. My brother's best friend did that when they were students at Western in the 1970s. The guy was valedictorian of Trinity High School. Those old sinks are gone and replaced with less confusing ones.

Bowling Green Traffic: This has nothing to do with the ballgames, except that it nearly made me late for the first game. The traffic signal at Russellville Road and Campbell Lane was on the fritz when I was on my way to the ballgame. Oh my! Someone needed to announce, "assume crash positions" like they do when airliners are about to crash. My little boy has a figure-8 race track on which he tries to get the cars to hit each other. The intersection in Bowling Green was reminiscent of his little race track.

Wildcats Caged: The Franklin-Simpson basketball team refused to leave their locker room after the game. I don't know what was going on, but they were in there forever.

Trash Talking Refs: The officials for the tournament are from the Third Region. I'm surprised they can officiate games without Steve Sparks telling them what to call (just joking). I sat next to the three officials from Thursday's first game during the nightcap. One of them yelled at a colleague officiating the game, "get your head in the game." It became a big joke between them.

Tennis Shoes and Pink Ribbons: All Fourth Region coaches are wearing pink ribbons and tennis shoes to raise awareness of breast cancer. It is a tribute to Greenwood Coach Blane Embry's wife, who was recently diagnosed with the disease.

Don't Tell The ACLU: After Barren County's game, Lee Hubbard led the players, coaches, and cheerleaders of both teams in a word of prayer. The entire arena was quiet, and it was touching to see rival players kneeling and praying together. The Franklin-Simpson and Greenwood squads did the same thing after their game.

Fifth Region Touranament, Hart County High School, Munfordville, Kentucky

2008-03-06T00:21:00.004-06:00

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Adair County 56 - Larue County 42
By Chris Gregory, Fifth Region Correspondent

On Tuesday night some of the 128 teams from 16 regions began their trek to Lexington to get a chance at being champions of the Bluegrass.

The Sweet Sixteen is known all over as one of the best venues in high school basketball. Where else can you watch basketball with 20,000+ of your closest friends? I know people in Kentucky with family in other states, and they are lucky to get four to five thousand fans to show up for their state's championship. And, if you want to talk about passion, I'm willing to bet the far, that people in Ashland know about teams and players in Hoptown, Paducah, Christian County and vice versa. In November, 2006, I attended a bluegrass music festival in Leslie County, and I told some people that I had driven from Elizabethtown. An older gentleman tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I had seen that Pettigrew "young'un play"? He also asked me if Ron Bevars was still at North Hardin. That, folks, is how passionate Kentucky is about its high school basketball.

On Wednesday night, my journey took me to the Fifth Region. As I arrived in Munfordville, I could tell it was regional tournament time. Fans flocked to the gym like it was the day after Thanksgiving and Best Buy had a sale on PS3's or X-Box's. It's funny how tournament time brings people out of the woodwork. You can go to these games all year and not see some of the people you do at the regional tournament. The only other place these people show up is the county fair.

Larue County came into this game knowing that they were the underdog. They were going to play the defending champs, Adair County. After seeing these kids play all year, I knew they were up for the challenge. It hit me in the first quarter, "We're playing in the Fifth Region tournament!!"

Larue County got some early open looks, but I guess they were a little tight because they were 0-3 to start. Adair, on the other hand, came out like they knew they were the show horses of the fifth. They junped out to a 7-0 lead and Coach Childress called a quick timeout. Larue settled down, and Christian Seymour hit a very long three as the buzzer sounded for the end of the first. The Hawks were hanging tough against the defending champs, only down seven after one.

When the teams came out in the second, the Larue players were convinced they could play with these guys, and I was right there with them. I always root for the underdog. The Hawks made an early run and cut the lead to two. Adair showed why they are the defending champs. They made their own run to close out the half leading 26-17.

The Indians must have been thinking, "go out in the second half and put these guys away; we need to rest our legs." Adair's Kalen Kimberland was all for that thought. He hit two threes to open the third and his running mates were right there with him. What was a nine point lead at the half had quickly turned into a 17 point lead for the Indians. Then, the Hawks must've been thinking, "Hey, let's pull out that peace pipe, guys." Larue County got good shots but just couldn't get over the hump. Adair led going into the last quarter, 39-26.

So far the game was going just like Adair wanted. They are a slow down team and sometimes will bore the fans. You look at them and wonder why they are so good. They are very well coached and very disciplined. In the games I've seen them they never shy away from their game plan.

The fourth quarter was exciting. Just when I thought Adair was going to blow out Larue, the pesky Hawks soared back into this game. At one point, they cut the lead to seven, but that would be as close as they would get. Adair was too tough down the stretch. Larue was forced to foul, and Adair does not miss free throws. Indians win 56-42.

OBSERVATIONS

Props to the Hawks: Larue County finished a good season and have a good core of players returning. They will be hungry. Juniors Christian Seymour and Bryan Bault led the Hawks on Wednesday night. Seymour played a heck of a game. I had him with 21 points, and he really stepped it up on the defensive end. Hold your heads up high Hawks. You played a good in a game that no one thought you had a chance in.

The 12th Region's Finest: This was the best officiated game I have seen in some time. They guys let them play but under control. I normally don't brag on refs, but I'll give credit where credit is due.

Note to Hart County High: I never paid much attention this problem until late in the fourth quarter. An old pal of mine, Prentiss Craft, said, "If you're going to host a regional tournament, make sure that all the light bulbs work in the scoreboard." He chuckled and said that it "just bothered him." Other than that, Hart County opened up the tournament as a very gracious host. They had a good flow through the concession stand and had a good staff on hand to help with anything. If you visit the Fifth, try the Nachos Supreme and a diet Dr. Pepper. Can't beat it.

Chiefs of the Tribe: Kalen Kimberland and Darrin Ballou. These guys had huge nights. Each had 21 points, and when it counted Kimberland hit his free throws. He finished the game 6 for 9 from the charity stripe. I get the feeling the team, as a whole, had an off night. Look for them not to be held down long. They will have to step it up on Monday night. They will face a very good and hot Central Hardin team.

Fourth Region Tournament, E.A. Diddle Arena, Western Kentucky University

2008-03-05T22:59:00.004-06:00

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Game One: Bowling 49 - Russellville 47

Fire up the cement mixer. Prime the paver. Check the ballast of the road and make sure the guardrails are sturdy and straight. Wednesday night in the Fourth Region Tournament, the Bowling Green Purples tossed some of the key ingredients into the equipment needed to pave the Road to Rupp Arena. They grabbed the hearts of the Russellville Panthers and threw them into the paving machine.

In the first quarter, it looked like Bowling Green was going to ride the momentum of their district championship right past Russellville. Their defense frustrated the Panthers, and Russellville could not find any way of rebounding out of their 2-3 zone. The Purples doubled them up in the first, 12-6.

The Purples opened the second quarter in the same fashion, expanding their lead to 10 points. However, Russellville exploded on an 18-1 run that left the Purples stunned. Coach D.G. Sherrill tried everything to snap his team out of their funk, even benching his starters. Donnie Bigbee and Justin Bollenbecker hit some big baskets while the Panthers mauled the Purples. Russellville took a 25-19 lead to the locker room after outscoring Bowling Green 19 to 7 in the second frame.

In the third quarter Russellville wanted the game more than Bowling Green. They crashed the boards and fought for every possession. Their zone neutralized the Purples' leading scorer, D.L. Moore, who picked up his third foul with 4:28 left in the quarter and having only scored five points. Plus, the Panthers were not fazed by Bowling Green's pressure defense. Damien Elam did a superb job of finding his way through their press and their traps.

Russellville played a lot better than what their 16-12 record would indicate. They seemed bound to win the game, closing the third frame with a 37-29 lead.

Tournaments always seem to produce unlikely heroes. If Pick and Roll readers went back and read my synopses of Bowling Green's games this season, I'd bet they'd be hard pressed to find the name Charlie Williams. He's a lanky kid about 6'2" tall and plays sparingly. Wednesday night, Charlie saved Bowling Green's bacon in the fourth quarter. He scored seven points in the game, all of which were in the final quarter. He hit two huge baskets off of rebounds that pulled his team within four of Russellville. He later hit a three that narrowed the score again.

Bowling Green was doing everything needed to lose the ballgame: sloppy play, missed free throws, and turnovers. They only had 10 turnovers for the game, but most were on critical possessions.

Around the 4:00 mark I noticed something about Russellville. They looked tired, grabbing the hems of their shorts and leaning forward a lot. They started missing free throws, including the front end of a one-and-one.

With under a minute to play, Bowling Green pulled tied the ballgame. Damien Elam made one of two free throws that gave the Panthers a one point lead. They fouled D.L. Moore, who stepped to the free throw line with a one-and-one looming. He hit the front end but missed the second.

I'm going to be completely honest. I cannot remember what Russellville did with their possession, but I know they did not score.

Bowling Green came back down the court for the win. They got several offensive rebound but could not put the ball in the basket. Russellville fouled Billy Williams (no relation to Charlie), and he went to the line for another 1+1 with 2.2 seconds left in the game.

He missed the free throw and the ball bounced out long. Williams grabbed the rebound and tossed the ball toward the basket. It went in as the horn sounded. Bowling Green, to use an old time sports cliche, snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Final 49-47.

Russellville's Donnie Bigbee, who left everything he had on the court, fell down near the lane while the Bowling Green fans and players and coaches erupted. It's one of those heart wrenching moments that all of us basketball fans see throughout the month of March. So, that's how Bigbee's high school career ends -- heartbreak.

Meanwhile, Billy Williams went from a zero to a hero in 2.2 seconds. He was Player of the Game. He probably deserved it, but I'm willing to bet that the Bowling Green coaching staff knows that a Williams of a different first name got their beans out of the fire.

When I looked at the stats of Wednesday's game, I saw a lot of similarities between the two teams. Russellville edged Bowling Green on the boards 31-30. Bowling Green shot a terrible 36.5% from the field, but hit 19 field goals. Russellville hit 18. They both had four three pointers, and both shot poorly from the field.

The difference, in my humble opinion, was that Bowling Green had 14 offensive rebounds while the Panthers only had five. In a tight game, it makes all the difference in the world. Russellville played very good zone defense but could not keep the Purps off the offensive glass.

Game Two: Russell County 62 - Glasgow 50

Any day now, I'm expecting to receive notice from the Glasgow Independent School System that I'm not welcome at any of their basketball games for eternity. I've seen the Scotties play three time this season, and they've lost all three times. Somehow, I've become bad medicine for them.

In my Fourth Region Preview, I confessed that I knew nothing about the Russell County Lakers. I'd forgotten about seeing them play in last year's Fourth Region tournament, when -- if my memory serves me right -- they beat a very good Allen County-Scottsville team in the first round and then lost to Warren Central.

Mostly, I remember that the Lakers are a team that does everything thing right all the way down to how they maintain their spacing as they move the ball around on the offense. They do everything that drives an opponent crazy. They set great picks. They shoot well. The rebound very well for their size. They play tough defense and always slap at the ball. I don't know what Coach Willie Feldhaus does, but he has his 13-13 squad playing like they are ready to stroll out on the court with the Bryan Stations, Holmeses, and University Heights of the world. I think they had a similar record last season and made the regional semifinals.

On Wednesday night, they used their precise game to beat the Scottie dogs. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) will be searching for the Lakers after the way they treated the Scotties at Diddle Arena. When Russell County went on a 19-6 run in the second quarter, Glasgow seemed to roll over and play dead. They had a 28-16 lead at the half.

Glasgow tried to get back in the game, but they played sloppy. Jordan Johnson took several ill-advised shots after driving into the lane with no options on what to do with the ball. He was 4-12 from the field. Craig Mosier was 2-10 from the field and 0-8 from three point range.

I noticed that Russell County shot 42 free throws compared to Glasgow's 17. The Lakers shot 76.2% from the stripe (32-42).

For the Lakers Bryson McFall had 16 points to lead all scorers. Russell County also had very balanced scoring: Timmy Coffey, who was Player of the Game, had 14 points along with 13 rebounds. Bryon Ellis had 12 points and eight boards, while Adam Justice added nine points.

Lakers advance to meet Bowling Green on Monday night.

OBSERVATIONS

Hey Diddle Diddle: Everyone swoons about Rupp Arena. It's magnitude puts it on the basketball map. While Diddle Arena is much smaller, it is the best place I've ever been to watch a basketball game. If any Pick and Roll Readers haven't ever seen a game at this wonderful arena, I strongly suggest that they pick up and catch a Fourth Region tournament game or a Hilltopper game there. I've seen basketball in a lot of places, and Diddle is..."TOPS." The stands are very close to the floor and steep, so there's not a bad seat in the house.

Double Justice: The Russell County Lakers have Lucas and Adam Justice on their squad. They are twins and wear uniform numbers 21 and 22. Both are sophomores but get significant playing time and both are good. They will keep Fourth Region opponents seeing double for a couple of more years. Lucas Justice went to the floor hard in the first half and also busted his nose.

Life of Riley: I noticed Warren Central Coach Tim Riley doing color for one of the radio stations on Wednesday night. It was odd seeing him on the "other" side of the court at Diddle Arena.

A Glasgow Pup: Michael Bradley, who logged 22 minutes for the Scotties tonight, is just a freshman. He is athletic and can jump out of the gym. He had four points and nine rebounds on Wednesday night. When he learns that basketball is a contact sport, then he'll be an excellent ballplayer.

A New Doo: Bowling Green's D.L. Moore appears to be singlehandedly trying to bring back banana clips as hair accessories. I don't even know how to describe his styling, but it's definitely different. I guess the re-release of "Thriller" got Mr. Moore in an 80's kind of mood tonight. Now, he just needs Cheeno pants, a pink Polo shirt, a Members Only jacket, and penny loafers.

Fourth Region Tournament Preview

2008-03-04T08:54:00.005-06:00

Pick and Roll has been working for some time to get an endorsement from Mr. Kurtis Blow. I finally got a statement from him through his "Basketball" video on YouTube. Pick and Roll himself makes a cameo at the 2:53 mark in the video. If Kurtis doesn't get Pick and Roll readers ready for regional tournament action, maybe Cheech and Chong and Tyrone Shoelaces' "Basketball Jones" will get them going. I'd include a link to the original animation, but I try to keep everything PG on here. I'll let readers search out the original if they are so motivated.

When I was at WKU, my friends and I listened to these two songs before we trek up The Hill to Diddle Arena to take on a Sun Belt foe back when the conference was a good basketball conference.

If Tyrone Shoelaces and Kurtis Blow don't get folks in the mood for some regional tournament action, then maybe Chocolate Thunder will get you rolling. Just think for a minute what Darryl Dawkins meant to backboards. We had to start importing them from the planet "Lovetron" and had to learn "interplanetary funkmanship." "Slam, bam, I am jam," Dawkins.

I'm just trying to get everyone going for the post season, so that people might turn-off reality television and drive to the nearest regional tournament and take a good dose of hoops. A Basketball Jones is not too unhealthy, and if you decide on a twelve step program to get rid of it, just be sure to dribble for the first ten and a half steps.

Around this time of year my family's "Hoosiers" DVD gets a lot of play. It's a wonder the pixels don't fade away by April. Two of my favorite scenes are Coach Norman Dale's speeches before the regional final and before the state championship. Click the links and watch for yourself. I know Kentuckians who won't watch it because of the name of the movie, but that's just nutty. I would like to see someone make a movie about the 1948 Brewers team or the 1956 Carr Creek team. Carr Creek would have a couple of great background stories. First of all, their team made it to the state championship game in 1928 after starting the season playing on a dirt court. Then, in the 1950s, people had started to leave the Kentucky mountains for jobs in northern cities in a migration not unlike the "Okies" heading west during the Great Depression.

So, at this point, readers are wondering, "is Pick and Roll ever going to preview the Fourth Region Tournament?" Yeah, I could've launched into some dry review of each team in the tournament, but I'll leave that for the print media. If anyone doesn't like my tournament preview, then I will refund your subscription money.

Franklin-Simpson Wildcat Coach David Clark must be thinking, "Man! My team is 24-6 with 20 wins in the region and a district championship, and we have to face Greenwood in the first round?" It's a tough draw for the Wildcats because Greenwood with their experienced guards was the hottest team coming down the stretch, but Franklin-Simpson was steady for the entire season. I told someone a few weeks ago that I thought Greenwood and Franklin-Simpson would meet in the regional championship. That's not going to happen, and I'm going to backpedal and say that the championship will be decided in the first round.

I do know that nothing could keep me away from this first round match up, though. They play the early game at Diddle on Thursday night.

The Bowling Green Purples dropped the last game of their regular season to Russellville, 55-50. They played the Panthers in Russellville after playing a make-up game in Albany the previous night. I have a feeling that the Purples relish the opportunity to take on Russellville again. Bowling Green won a couple of very tough games in the 14th District tournament and will be tuned up for more post season play. They have flown under everybody's radar this season like a big B-2 bomber.

I really wish I knew something -- anything -- about Russell County. They are to the Fourth Region what the Maritime Provinces are to Canada, our 51st state. They are way out there on the edge of things, and I have a hunch that deep down they wish they were in another region. I do know that Willie Feldhaus is a good coach and gets a lot out of his players. I mean no disrespect to the Lakers. I remember how well they played in last year's tournament until they hit the Warren Central buzz saw.

The Lakers play the Glasgow Scotties in the first round. The Scotties are led by senior Charlie Mudd, who has a supporting cast of Michael Bradley, Will McCoy, and Michael Whitney. They upended a good Allen County-Scottsville team and came very close to winning the 15th District tournament. Glasgow has played very well after taking a 63-36 thrashing in Franklin on February 22nd.

I saw the Barren County Trojans play three times this season. I saw them play twice in the Citizens First Holiday Classic in Bowling Green and saw them play crosstown rival Glasgow. They won the Holiday Classic trophy by beating a superb team from Hazel Green, Alabama, and that is when they caught my eye. Lee Hubbard is an excellent basketball player, and his teammates move the ball around better than any team I've seen this year. The Trojans play tough defense, too. This is a team that plays like champions.

Metcalfe County has been a hard luck team this season. They rolled early in the season, going 10-0 before losing to a team from Washington, D.C. They seemed to be ready to roll again, but their leading scorer, Trey Shirley, developed an infection in his back. He missed several games, two of which the Hornets lost, but they've haven't been able to put together any kind of momentum since his return. Greenwood clobbered them in Edmonton on Feb. 15th, and they lost to rival Barren County four nights later. Russell County beat them for the 16th District championship.

Who's going to win the tournament? I have no idea. Every time the subject comes up, I think first about the Franklin-Simpson Wildcats. I guess they are kind of my default team. I think D.G. Sherrill is comfortable with his Purples staying off my radar scope.

I do know this: It was 74 degrees yesterday. It's 47 degrees in Bowling Green this morning, and it is supposed to snow by the end of the day. That can only mean it is March, which means it's Hoopsmas -- Kentucky's Mardis Gras.

Regional Pairings for Fourth and Fifth Regions

2008-03-03T06:28:00.003-06:00

I separated these two regions from the others in west Kentucky because these are the two that Chris Gregory and I spend the most time covering and writing about. We know these teams better than those from other regions, and these are the ones in which we live. It's a blatant Pick and Roll bias. We will be at these regional tournaments as much as humanly possible.

I must give a tip of the hat to Chris for compiling the pairing for me.

Fourth Region: E.A. Diddle Arena, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky

Wednesday, March 5th

6:30 - Bowling Green vs. Russellville
8:00 - Russell County vs. Glasgow

Thursday, March 6th

6:30 - Franklin-Simpson vs. Greenwood
8:00 - Barren County vs. Metcalfe County

Semifinals will be played at 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. on March 10th
Final will be played at 6:00 p.m. on March 11th

Fifth Region: Hart County High School, Munfordville, Kentucky

Wednesday, March 5th

6:00 - Adair County vs. Larue County
8:00 - Central Hardin vs. Nelson County

Thursday, March 6th

6:00 - Green County vs. Elizabethtown
8:00 - Bardstown vs. Taylor County

Semifinals will be played at 5:30 and 8:45 p.m. on March 10th. They will clear the gym between games.
Final will be played at 7:00 p.m. on March 11th.

Regional Pairings for First, Second, and Third Regions

2008-03-02T22:46:00.004-06:00

The regional pairings are set. This is it, sports fans. There's 128 teams vying for one championship. From here on out it is do or die. Losers will fold their uniforms, unlace their sneakers, pack their bags, and start counting the days until practice starts up again in the fall. In a few nights, we'll be down to 64, then 32, and then only 16. Those sixteen, the Sweet Sixteen, will survive to play at Rupp Arena.

First Region: Regional Special Events Center, Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky

Wednesday, March 5th

6:00 - Fulton City vs. Calloway County
7:45 - Graves County vs. Lone Oak

Thursday, March 6th

6:00 - Marshall County vs. Hickman County
7:45 - Paducah Tilghman vs. Mayfield

Semifinals will be played at 6:00 and 7:45 p.m. on March 10th.
Finals will be played at 7:00 p.m. on March 11th.

Second Region: Madisonville-North Hopkins High School, Madisonville, Kentucky

Wednesday, March 5

6:00 - Madisonville-North Hopkins vs. Webster County
7:30 - Lyon County vs. Christian County

Thursday, March 6th

6:00 -University Heights Academy vs. Hopkins County Central
7:30 - Henderson vs. Livingston County Central

Semifinals will be played on March 10th at 6:00 and 7:30 p.m.
Final will be played on March 11th at 7:00 p.m.

Third Region:

Tuesday, March 4th

7:00 - Grayson County vs. Owensboro, Grayson County High School
7:30 - Meade County vs. Muhlenberg South, Meade County High School
7:00 - Muhlenberg North vs. Edmonson County, Muhlenberg North Middle School*
7:00 - Apollo vs. Breckinridge County, Apollo High School

Semifinals will be played at 7:00 p.m. on March 6th and 7th at Daviess County High School
Final will be played at 7:00 p.m. on March 10th at Daviess County High School

*That is not a typographical error. Muhlenberg North's gym was severely damaged by a tornado in February, so they are playing their games at the middle school gym.

Central Hardin 64 - Elizabethtown 52

2008-03-02T06:41:00.002-06:00

17th District Championship, Central Hardin High School, Cecilia, Kentucky 03-01-08

By Chris Gregory, Fifth Region Correspondent

With a 19-10 record, Central Hardin is having the best season in school history. Since becoming a high school in 1991, they have never held the number one seed in the district, and they have only been to the regional tournament twice. So, they were going to make the most of it. It wasn't going to be easy. They had little trouble with their first round game against John Hardin. Saturday's opponent, the E-town Panthers were looking to spoil the party for the Bruins.

Regular readers of Pick and Roll know that I've been saying all year that you can't count out a James Haire coached team. After the Panthers beat North Hardin on Thursday night, he had made his way back to the regional tournament. After what they had lost last year -- Kentucky's Mr. Basketball, Steffphon Pettigrew -- no one expected them to be here. Even Coach Haire was quoted as saying "we are rebuilding." It seems like at tournament time he always has his teams ready.

I almost didn't go to this game because there was another championship game going on tonight I had my eye on: Taylor County was playing Adair County. I knew it would be a war. I also knew that it would be a packed house in Campbellsville, and I didn't want to fight the crowd. I got word at the Central game that the fire marshal turned people away about a half hour before the game got started. It's a small gym, and it had to be hot in there.

I arrived in Cecilia a little early, expecting a huge crowd, but I had no problems finding a parking spot up close. I thought the gym should be packed considering this could be Central's first district championship. Even seats on the front row were empty. Oh well, I guess it takes getting a number one seed more than once to get any support. I forgot they are a girls golf school instead of basketball.

Before the game began, the Central Hardin PA announcer put a spin on things. Instead of announcing just the starting five, he called out every player on the roster for both teams so that grandma and grandpa could see their grandkids on the floor at least once.

After the long intros, the game got underway with Central getting the tap. Both teams were under control, and the first three field goals were three pointers. Elizabethtown got two of them. I heard that they burned the nets against North Hardin, so they were trying to start where they left off. The first quarter was typical, both teams feeling each other out. E-town had a four point lead, but that would not last long.

Coach J.C. Wright must have told his team to get a bear hug on the Panthers or at least he told the poppa bear, Tony Harding. He clawed the Panthers in the second, hitting four three pointers in a matter of minutes. He must have thought that Nancy Kerrigan was dressed in a Panther uniform because he was really busting them.

The second quarter was difference in the ball game. Central out-scored the city boys 19-5. They had the half time lead, 26-16.

Tonight, I did something a little different. In the first half, I sat on the E-town side of the gym, and at the half I gave up my seat to travel over to the Bruin side. As I was getting up, I noticed some of the other fifth region coaches in attendance. I went over to say something to Green County Coach Toby Curry. I congratulated him on his win the night before. He's a very nice guy. On the Central side of the gym was my old pal Coach Paul Childress from Larue. I asked how he was doing, and he said, "licking my wounds." He did sound excited about the regional tournament. His team had a bad shooting night, and they are looking to bounce back.

The third still belonged to Central. About halfway through the quarter Coach Haire threw up his hands and had a seat on the bench. Central Hardin began to smell victory. Everything was just a formality now. Although E-town was hanging around within reach, the Bruins were too hot for them.

To make things worse for the Panthers, they inbounded the ball to start the fourth and turned the ball over to Tony Hardin, who skated down the floor for a flush. The Central crowd showed some life. With about 3:00 to go and the game still with-in reach, Central Hardin went stall ball. They had a 13 point lead. Coach Wright couldn't rest his starters because E-town is dangerous from the outside. Central made me nervous with the slow down. Coach Wright must've got nervous, too, because he called a time out and told his team to finish the game.

They got a scare with 1:20 left. Tony Harding went in for a lay-up and got fouled hard. He hit the floor hard and held on to his wrist. You could hear the Bruins holding their breaths. He was OK and Central won the game, 64-52.

OBSERVATIONS

Still in Hibernation: The Bruin fans really disappointed me tonight. YOUR school was playing for it's first even district championship, and I heard very little noise out of the fans. Heck, only a handful of football players were brave enough to run out on the floor to celebrate. The rest of the fans were more worried about getting their clothes dirty. YOUR school is going to the regional tournament as a winner and with a good draw, I don't see why they can't make it to the regional finals. Girls golf is not until the fall, so get behind these coaches and players.

The Big Three: Once again, Central was led by their big three: Chris Nichols, Tony Harding, and Daniel Linder. I double checked my stats, and Linder had a quiet 20 points. I know I mentioned Harding a lot in my post, but all these guys had big games. That makes it hard for opposing teams. They have many weapons. Editor's Note: When I read the post, I thought maybe they were going to change the name of the school "Central Harding."

How Good is the 17th: This has to be one of the hardest district in which to play. Besides the 9th and the 43rd, I don't think another one stacks up. This is a five team district, and lately four out of five have competed year-in and year-out. I can't remember the last time Fort Knox competed.

All District Tournament Team

I must first apologize. I didn't get the first two names of the team because I was saying good-byes to some fans and other coaches.

Chris White - John Hardin
Maurice Gosa - North Hardin
Sean Bouthilette - Elizabethtown
Aaron Pedigo - Elizabethtown
Chris "Go-Go" Gohman - Elizabethtown
Tony Harding - Central Hardin
J.R. Glover - Central Hardin
Chris Nichols - Central Hardin
Daniel Linder - Central Hardin

Bowling Green 45 - Greenwood 42 (OT)

2008-03-01T21:44:00.004-06:00

14th District Championship, Warren Central High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky 03-01-08

There's no better way to start the month of March off than with an overtime championship game. I guess in a way March rolled in like a lion at Warren Central High School when Bowling Green and Greenwood squared off against one another for the 14th District trophy. Neither team was going to back down on Saturday night, and both played like they wanted to win the championship and take the front seat into the regional tournament. I could sense from the opening tip-off.

Bowling Green's Tevin Barksdale got out of the gate in a hurry, draining two three point shots and giving his Purples a 6-0 lead. Greenwood likes to throw zones at Bowling Green, but Barksdale kind of put up a challenge to the Gators. They couldn't pack their zone the way they sometimes will.

The first quarter was an indication of what kind of game it was going to be. Both teams are good at defense, and they were going to force their will on the other. Defensive games can be ugly, and this one certainly would get the U-G-L-Y label from the Pick and Roll. I like defensive games, though, and they often end in drama.

Bowling Green had an 11-8 advantage at the end of the first.

Greenwood's Dee Anderson opened the second quarter with two baskets, and the Gators took a 12-11 lead. Dominique Britt answered for the Purples with two three pointers, and it seemed like he had the hot hand. He missed his third attempt, but Bowling Green had an 18-12 lead.

The two teams were frozen on that score forever. It was a defensive slug-fest down through the end of the half, and that was the score at halftime.

It seemed almost metaphorical that the score was locked at 18-12. Pyotor Tchaikovsky wrote the Festival Overture "The Year 1812" to celebrate Russia's successful DEFENSE against Napoleon's advancing French army. The pounding music and the cannon blasts and the crashing tympani in the Overture could be the soundtrack to Saturday's basketball game. The drama in the music builds and builds just as the drama in the game built during the basketball game.

At 6:06 in the third quarter, the score was still 18-12. For a moment, it seemed like it might end that way.

Bowling Green started playing a match up zone, but they couldn't keep Greenwood's forwards from getting loose on the baseline. The Purples responded with a run of their own and stretched their lead to 28-19, and that was the score at the end of three.

Bowling Green had allowed the Gators to score 8, 4, and 7 points in each quarter.

There was no way a team as good and as determined at the Greenwood Gators was going to let their crosstown rival walk away with an easy win, especially after such a classic defensive struggle. Bowling Green couldn't keep the lid on guys like Dee Anderson, Mark Lacy, Austin Reed, and Bret Barrick. These guys are competitors, and they've turned Greenwood into the hottest team in the region late in the season.

Greenwood came out of the break with a new determination. They attacked the interior of Bowling Green's defense with great passing, always finding the open man. If the Purples left someone open, the Gators found him. They closed the gap.

Dee Anderson tied the score at 31 with a lay-in and drew the foul. He put Greenwood on top with his free throw.

Bowling Green surged back and took a 35-32 lead.

Enter Mark Lacy. I can't say enough good things about this player. He's competitive. He's smart. He's tough. I'm sure that Coach Blane Embry would like to clone his point guard and keep one of him around perpetually. The rest of the coaches around the region are glad he can't. Lacy had been quiet all night, but when Greenwood needed a basket, he stepped up and knocked down a 21 foot jump shot that tied the score.

Tevin Barksdale slipped on the floor on the inbounds pass, and Greenwood had a shot at winning the game in regulation. Bowling Green's players made sure they knew where Lacy was. They inbounded to Dee Anderson who took a shot from the corner but missed.

Overtime!

Austin Reed opened the overtime with a three pointer, and it seemed like Greenwood's momentum would sweep them to victory. The Purples responded, though, and regained the lead 40-39. It came a game of possessions and foul shots, and guys like Jarren Nixon, D.L. Moore, and Tevin Barksdale hit some mighty important free throws in the overtime.

Bowling Green won, 45-42, and took home the 14th District trophy.

I think there's a big monkey roaming around Rockingham Drive in Bowling Green looking for another back to climb on and make a home.

OBSERVATIONS

Pink: The Greenwood Gators wore pink t-shirts instead of warm ups Saturday night. I was told that it was a tribute to Coach Blane Embry's wife, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Pick and Roll doesn't like to discuss health issues, but I think it is important that everyone keep her in your thoughts and prayers. It was a very nice touch.

That's My Ball: A loose ball rolled out of bounds during Saturday's championship game, and a little boy -- about three years old -- got hold of it. When the referee came over to get it, the little boy wouldn't give it back. The ref got down and asked real nice, and the kid finally handed over the ball.

Big Danged Trophy: When I walked in the gym tonight, there was a huge trophy sitting down at the other end. I thought, "gee, that's a big trophy for a stinkin' district championship. I figured out that National City Bank was promoting that it promotes the Sweet Sixteen. That was the state championship trophy. The 14th District trophy was considerably smaller.

Eddie the Pill Popper: My friend Eddie Dillard and I usually sit together at basketball games. Saturday night, I noticed that he took a couple of aspirin out of his pocket and munched them down. I teased him. He said he had a tension headache. When the teams were locked in a defensive struggle and headed for overtime, I told Eddie, "give me some of those pills!"

Smack Yo' Mama: After the ballgame I noticed that several Bowling Green players made their way into the stands so they could lay a smooch on their mothers. Folks, that's one among thousands of reasons I love high school basketball. I realized I was sitting next to Domonique Britt's mother.

All 14th District Team

Mark Lacy - Greenwood
Jarren Nixon - Bowling Green
Scooter Lightfoot - Warren Central
D.L. Moore - Bowling Green
Shenard Holton - Warren East
Deangelo Kirk - Warren East
Billy "Lando" Williams - Bowling Green
Pete "It's a Three" Winn - Warren Central
Dee Anderson - Greenwood
Demetric Ray - Warren East
Jarrett Jenkins - Greenwood
Jordan Ellis - Warren East
George Fant - Warren Central

Green County 61 - Larue County 55

2008-03-01T06:48:00.002-06:00

18th District Championship, Green County High School, Greensburg, Kentucky 02-29-08

By Chris Gergory, Fifth Region Correspondent

For the first time in nine years, Green County and Larue County met in the district finals. So far, things have been good for the Dragons. They had a big scare on Monday night against Caverna, but on Friday night they new that the game would be tough. Larue County started their push for the championship after lighting up Hart County with a 32 point defeat.

Coming into the championship game, these teams split the regular season, each winning on the other's home floor. Both were very close games. When Green won at Larue it was on a loast second 30 footer by Green's Clint Henderson. I think both games were decided by less than five points total.

Both teams match up pretty well. I thought it would be a coin toss. A huge crowd was on hand, and several Larue County fans made the half hour drive to pack the gym. Man, it was HOT!! (Editor's query: Half an hour from Larue County to Greensburg? In Bowling Green one is lucky to make it from Russellville Road to Scottsville Road in that amount of time).

The tip-off was late because of the girls' championship game. That was an exciting game. Green County beat Hart County 73-65, and I must tip my hat to a couple of ladies who lead their teams in the championship game. The Lady Dragons' Micah Jones scored 31 points and had 10 steals. She is only in the eighth grade. Hart County Megan Isaacs had 30 points and an amazing 22 rebounds, which in a weird way makes Dennis Rodman the Megan Isaacs of NBA basketball. Yeah, I know he's retired, but Dennis would like the thought of being Megan Isaacs.

As the Larue County players (boys team) made their way to the locker room, they received high fives and cheers from the faithful Hawk fans. Once again, they looked focused and ready to play. I was hoping they would start this game off where they finished on Tuesday when they lit up the scoreboard for 31 fourth quarter points. I'm sure that caught coach Toby Curry's ye, and he had to find a way to slow them down.

Green controlled the tip, and they didn't waste any time putting up the first points of the game. It took all of about 30 seconds. Not to be out-done, Larue also found the rim on their first possession. The game was frantic from the get-go, but the Hawks are not used to playing that style. They run the ball, but not at that kind of pace. It had them out of sorts. Green made a 7-0 run and forced Coach Childress to use a time out.

I know Coach Childress pretty well, and he never backs down from a challenge. He just had to settle his team and play like he knows they can. Emotions were high, and the refs were letting them play. Late in the first quarter, Larue's Christian Seymore got whistled for a foul about 40 feet from the goal, and he had a few words for the ref. I don't know what he said, but I doubt he wished him a "Happy Hoopsmas." The ref couldn't grab the whistle fast enough to "T" him up. That was at the 3:44 mark. The technical may have opened Larue's eyes. They slowed it down, got hot, and made a run of their own. At the end of one, it was 15-10 Green.

When the second got underway it was like someone turned of the light switch on the Hawks. They were out of control and making a lot of mistake. Green opened up a ten point lead, and Larue was digging themselves a hole. With the help of senior Shawn Seymour, Larue would not give up. He grabbed a rebound and took it coast-to-coast to cut the lead at halftime to seven points.

Could the Hawks come out and get hot again like they did on Tuesday? The fans around me were hoping so.

What a difference a half makes? Larue came out as hot as I was up there in the rafters. The Seymour brothers hit on a couple of threes, and in no time, the Hawks were pecking on the Dragons' front door. By this time, they cut the lead to three only a minute and five seconds into the third quarter. They later tied it up at 31, which was the first tie since the score was 2-2. Larue just couldn't get over the hump. Green once again made a late run at the end of the quarter and lead 40-36.

At the start of the fourth, Larue was playing much better. They finally slowed down and began running their offense. They got open looks and made the most of it. Green looked a little winded. They played eight players but one or two starters didn't rest much.

Larue once again tied the score at 45 at 4:15 to go (only the third tie). The Dragons were poised. Every time Larue made a run, they were quick to stop it. In the end, Larue just couldn't capitalize. They had some good looks, but it just wouldn't fall for them.

Green County won, 61-55 to take the 18th.

OBSERVATIONS

Dragons are Flying High: Green County has now won seven in a row. This is a good time of the year to put together a little win streak. Coach Toby Curry, I think, will agree with me that sometimes this team struggles, but in the end, they find a way to get it in the basket. With the great shooters they have on this team, they could breath some fire down some necks in the Fifth Region tournament.

Pajama Donkeys: I'm glad it's regional tournament time so we can get away from these Fifth Region refs. The lack of consistency is killing me.

Ron Burgundy Covering Game?: The Larue County student section -- for some reason -- had blown up pictures of celebrities floating around. One was Will Ferrell. I know he has a basketball movie out. Are they hoping he might suit up for the Hawks?

Hawks In Da' House: (Editor's intrusion on Chris's post) I got to meet Coach Childress at Diddle Arena last week. He was there with his basketball team. I think James "Boo" Brewer was in tow, too. I saw him after the game, and the last time I saw Boo Brewer on Western's court, he was dicing up some Hilltopper defense for UofL.

All District Tournament Team

Jordan Rice - Caverna
Chad Briggs - Caverna
Corey Salsman - Larue County
Shawn Seymour - Larue County
Clint Henderson - Green County
Seth Jones - Green County
Daniel Bennett - Green County

Look for an update on the regional draw. I will post as soon as I get them. The region will be played at Hart County High School.

Pennyrile Pick and Roll Retraction and Apology

2008-02-28T17:16:00.003-06:00

I had some e-mail waiting for me when I returned from beautiful Union County this afternoon. It was very polite, but took me to task on what I wrote about Pete Winn's three pointer at the end of the Bowling Green - Warren Central 14th District semifinal on Tuesday night.

Take a look for your "ownself."

When it happened, I would've sworn that Winn not only shot from within the arc but also walked to get there. I can't argue with cameras and video.

I realize when I'm wrong, and I was wrong. Real wrong.

I appreciate when Pick and Roll readers set me straight. After all, if they're reading the Pennyrile Pick and Roll, they are Kentucky's most intelligent and well informed high school basketball fans.

I apologize to the readers, Coach Riley, Pete Winn, the officials, and the fine folks at Warren Central High School. Mea culpa. Mea culpa.

Greenwood 59 - Warren East 56

2008-02-27T22:17:00.004-06:00

14th District Semifinal, Warren Central High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky 02-27-08

There are forces in nature like the Coriolis Effect, which cannot be overcome. To achieve flight, an airfoil (wing) must create the Bernoulli Effect (I'm not going to explain them, so click on the links). In Kentucky high school basketball Pick and Roll hypothesizes the "Ballard Effect." The name of this possible law of high school hoops effects, primarily, referees and a lot of casual fans of the game. It's called "Ballard" because I grew up in Louisville where the glittery student body of Ballard High School was full of "school spirit." When other schools replicated their antics, the Louisville Police Department called them "criminal mischief." I've written about the "Ballard Effect" in an earlier post, but I'm not going to take the time to link to it.

I doubt my hypothesis on the "Ballard Effect" ever appears in any science journals or magazines, but a team of sociologists from the tiled hallways of Finley C. Grise Hall on the high academic Hill of WKU needs to get right on it. They could study it very well locally without traveling to Louisvlle to watch the mighty Ballard Bruins.

If I make any Bruins fans mad, well, I've never really liked y'all anyway.

Greenwood High School is playing better than anyone in the Fourth Region right now. They are peaking at the right time. They are getting solid play from every position and exceptional play from guys like Mark Lacy, Austin Reed (Wednesday night's Player of the Game), and Dee Anderson. They are going to be a tough team to beat.

Warren East was one of my picks as a possible dark horse in the Fourth Region tournament, but I knew they had to get past Greenwood in the first round of the district. Wednesday's game was going to send a good team packing no matter the outcome.

East opened strong with good perimeter play from Deangelo Kirk, Shenard Holton, and Demetric Ray. Greenwood responded and made a run back at the Raiders. Actually, it was a game of runs. The two teams surged at one another like crossing currents in an ocean made up of player and fans and cheerleaders and pep bands. I got to see an exciting game Tuesday night, and early in the first quarter I knew I was going to get see another.

East caught the late surge in the quarter and had a 20-15 lead at the end. An East player went "cheerleader hunting" as time expired. He launched a full court shot and nearly hit a cheerleader, who was oblivious that the ball had been thrown, in the head. I've seen it happen so many times.

Note to cheerleaders: you better pay attention at the end of a quarter.

After what felt like a frantic first quarter, both teams settled down in the second and played some good basketball. Demetric Ray opened the quarter with a big basket, and East started opening up an lead on the Gators. The Raiders' center, 6'5" Justin Watson is a great shot blocker. He set the single season shot block record at Warren East with 77 (as of Feb. 26th), and he holds the career record with 191. Wednesday night, it seemed like East was more effective on the defensive end when Watson was in the game. He knew how to use his size to Greenwood's efforts in the paint.

Late in the quarter I thought to myself that Greenwood's Dee Anderson was not having a good game. No sooner than I had the thought, he got a basket followed by a steal. Lacy got a steal for the Gators, too, and late in the quarter I felt the momentum shift to Greenwood's side.

The Raiders took a 33-27 lead to halftime, but it felt precarious, at least to me.

Greenwood stepped up their intensity in the third quarter, and Warren East had trouble dealing with the pressure. They started making stupid mistakes. With the Gators closing in on them, Deangelo Kirk decides to go "I-40" on a rebound, but instead of putting it in the hoop he dropped it in the ocean. I sensed East's high tide ebbing away. Diddle Arena is probably less than a mile away from the gym at Warren Central, but for the Raiders it may as well been on the moon.

It's interesting. Late in the third quarter, the Raiders had six fouls and the Gators had two. I started looking for members of WKU's Sociology Department.

Warren East clung to a two point lead at the end of the third, 41-39.

In the fourth quarter, East played desperate. Greenwood played like champions. Mark Lacy made some huge steals, and Dee Anderson found his way to the basket. Late in the quarter, East made one last run at Greenwood, but the big lizards were too much for them. They tied it at 45 with 5:53 left and soon took a 49-45 lead, and they never looked back.

Greenwood won 59-56 and moves on to meet Bowling Green on Saturday night for the district championship.

OBSERVATIONS

Viva Las Vegas: I noticed that Warren East lists its colors as royal blue and "vegas" gold. The Raiders kind of crapped out on Wednesday night.

Play-by-Play Principal: Rockfield Elementary's principal, Damon Tabor, is doing play-by-play for the ESPN affiliate in Bowling Green. He does a great job, but his show prep needs to include the Pennyrile Pick and Roll. I've tried to convince my daughter, who goes to Rockfield, that Mr. Tabor keeps his electric paddle charging under the broadcast table.

Crowded House: No, not the 1980s New Wave band. It's something so much stronger. Tuesday and Wednesday nights' crowds were huge at the 14th District. It has had a throw-back atmosphere with lots of people in the stands, pep band music, and hot air. Seats are scarce, and there is no canned music thumping in over the PA system. It'll be shorts and t-shirt night at the gym on Saturday if it gets warm like it is supposed to.

Only Hoops Around: Players, coaches, and fans from all over the region were in attendance tonight, no doubt taking notes. I don't think there were any other games going on in the Fourth Region tonight. Fewer teams are left after tonight. The Road to Rupp is paved with a thousand broken hearts.

Larue County 68 - Hart County 36

2008-02-27T07:33:00.003-06:00

18th District Semifinal, Green County High School, Greensburg, Kentucky 02-26-08

By Chris Gregory, Fifth Region Correspondent

High school basketball is a game of spurts, ups-and-downs and slumps. Over the past coupls of weeks Larue County has been in a slump, and to tap it all off, last Wednesday, one of their best players decided to leave the team. On Tuesday night, they faced a team they beat down twice this season, but I've always heard that it's hard to beat a team three times in one season. Also, the other two times that Larue played Hart, the Raiders had key players injured. Both times they were without 6'7" Ethan Moore, who could cause match-up problems for Larue.

Once again, I lucked out on a ride to Greensburg. My friend, Justin Craft, picked me up, and another Larue County great, Matt Clifford, was along for the ride. We talked hoops all the way there (Hey! It's Hoopsmas!). When we arrived at Green County's gym, I could tell there was a bigger crowd there than the night before. The girls game was still going on, and, man, it's hard for me to watch girls hoops. It seems there's a whistle every time down the floor. So, to kill time, I wandered around the crowd to talk to some fans. I cam across the parents of a player who told me they enjoyed the website. Thanks, Larue County fans.

We found a seat next to Larue County's locker room. Some players came out early to watch the girls' game. I kept a close eye on them to see if they were getting pumped up for the game. They were. The players were kind of loosey-goosey, and I think that was positive sign. They seemed relaxed. I also noticed that the referees were close to the Hawks' locker room, as well. One of them was Charles Jones, the same Charles Jones that played for UofL and the pride of Scooba, Mississippi. He has been a Fifth Region ref for many years, and I have seen him at many games this year. We are used to him now.

Both teams looked ready to play during warm-ups, and I was curious to see if anyone could step up in the absence of Tyler Hornback, the Larue player who left the team. When the teams made it to the jump circle, I noticed that Hart had the size advantage. Larue's biggest player is 6'3" and the Raiders' Moore is 6'7".

Hart controlled the tap. Hart played a fast pace but couldn't find the basket. On Monday night, I noticed that teams have trouble shooting in Green County's gym. I asked Matt Clifford about it because he played many games there. He told me it was the white walls that are behind the goals. It's hard to pick up the rim when all a shooter looks at is a big white wall and a clear backboard. He said that the rim looks like it's floating in air. Makes sense to me.

The first quarter was back and forth without a lot of scoring. Larue had the early lead, 10-9. Hart County ran subs in-and-out three at a time and were looking to keep the Hawks grounded.

I don't know what was up with the floor on Tuesday night. I think these teams set a record for the most walking calls in one half. We counted four straight trips down the floor that there was a whistle blown for traveling.

Larue County still hung to a small lead, but both teams really didn't shoot that well. Despite the cold shooting, Larue played better than they have the last couple of weeks. They held the lead, 18-15 at the half. It wasn't much of a first half with so many whistles and the cold shooting by both teams.

Again, tonight, no halftime entertainment, but I did hear something that made me chuckle. The PA announcer told the crowd that they were going to raffle off a rifle. Raffle a rifle at a high school game in Kentucky? What's next, try to catch a greased pig during football season. I know schools have trouble raising money these days, so I guess they'll do whatever it takes to get some money. Oh, by the way, I purchased a ticket on the rife.

For the second time this year -- that I've seen -- Coach Childress kept his team in the locker room for the entire halftime. When they came out, they only had 30 seconds to warm up. That's all they needed. They blistered the nets in the third or maybe Childress blistered their hind-ends at halftime. They outscored the Raiders 19-5 in the third and had pushed their lead to 17. I think Larue was coming out of their slump. It was too much for Hart.

Over the past couple of games, Larue had built leads only to panic and loose them. I hoped this wasn't going to happen Tuesday night. They were up 45-21 with 6:28 to go in the game, but Hart County just couldn't get it going tonight. To be honest, I didn't think they fed their big man enough. Larue played better than I had seen in awhile, and they lit up the scoreboard in the last frame for 31 points. They flew away with the victory, 68-36.

OBSERVATIONS

Players Not the Only Ones Stepping It up for the Tournaments: I hope people don't get tired of us writing about high school bands. Tuesday night, the Larue County band went "Old School." I had heard them earlier this season, but I think they were holding back in the regular season. They busted out "Play that Funk Music," "Celebrate, Good Times, C'mon," and "Sweet Home Alabama." SKYNYRD! (Pick and Roll is standing with his lighter aflame for an encore). I even noticed the Hart County band director bobbing his head to the songs. They were equipped with electric guitar, bass, and drum set. Way to step it up Band of Hawks.

Let the Light Shine On Us: I didn't know how Larue would react after losing one of their best players. I have to give it to them. Christian Seymour, Corey Salsman, and senior Alan "A Ray" Vass. Every player who played had good minutes, but these three were got it done with defense, scoring, and deflections. I hope it carries over to Friday night. They will have to play hard again against a good Green County team.

I'll be back at Green County on Friday night to catch the 18th District championship game. Green County has been a good host. The fans are friendly, and, besides, I have to see if I win the rifle.