94 Teams Left

Lots of action last night in the Boys' Regionals:

FIRST REGION QUARTER-FINALS (at Murray St. U.):

Marshall Co. 98, Fulton Co. 35

(11) McCracken Co. 63, Mayfield 49

SECOND REGION QUARTER-FINALS (at Madisonville-North Hopkins H.S.):

Henderson Co. 52, Christian Co. 39

Hopkins Co. Cent. 98, Livingston Cent. 51

THIRD REGION QUARTER-FINALS (at Owensboro Sportscenter):

(8) Daviess Co. 53, Breckinridge Co. 33

Grayson Co. 91, Muhlenberg Co. 65

FOURTH REGION QUARTER-FINALS (at W. Kentucky U.):

S. Warren 57, Logan Co. 44

Monroe Co. 63, Glasgow 61

FIFTH REGION QUARTER-FINALS (at Green Co. H.S.):

Taylor Co. 70, Thomas Nelson 44

Caverna 73, Elizabethtown 44

EIGHTH REGION QUARTER-FINALS (at Henry Co. H.S.):

Henry Co. 66, (18) S. Oldham 63

Spencer Co. 64, Simon Kenton 57

TENTH REGION QUARTER-FINALS (at Mason Co. H.S.):

Scott 84, Mason Co. 57

(6) Geo. Rogers Clark 84, Pendleton Co. 42

ELEVENTH REGION QUARTER-FINALS (at E. Kentucky U.):

Great Crossing 82, Model 41

(15) Lex. Catholic 42, (17) Lex. Bryan Station 41

TWELFTH REGION QUARTER-FINALS (at Pulaski Co. H.S.):

Boyle Co. 51, Somerset 48 (OT)

W. Jessamine 64, Somerset Christian School 61

THIRTEENTH REGION QUARTER-FINALS (at Corbin Arena):

Bell Co. 46, Clay Co. 30

Whitley Co. 76, Pineville 48

FOURTEENTH REGION QUARTER-FINALS (at Breathitt Co. H.S.):

Perry Co. Cent. 64, Breathitt Co. 55

Powell Co. 73, Letcher Co. Cent:  71

FIFTEENTH REGION QUARTER-FINALS (at Pikeville Expo Center):

Floyd Cent. 53, Pike Co. Cent. 42

Johnson Cent. 93, Phelps 58

We Made It

Here is tonight's football schedule for Western Kentucky -- first Friday Night of the season.  Home teams listed first:

Ballard Mem. v. Todd Co. Cent.

Calloway Co. v. Webster Co.

Fulton Co. v. Gleason (Tenn.)

Hopkins Co. Cent. v. Caldwell Co.

Hopkinsville v. Stratford (Nashville, Tenn.)

Marshall Co. v. Crittenden Co.

Mayfield v. Graves Co.

McCracken Co. v. Paducah Tilghman

Owensboro Apollo v. Murray

Union Co. v. Madisonville-N. Hopkins

Wildcat Chevrolet Bowl (at Trigg Co.)

Fort Campbell v. Northwest (Clarksville, Tenn.)

Trigg Co. v. Ohio Co.

God bless us, every one!

The Internet Is Amazing!™

Just starting on the viewing of this playlist of videos from in and around Heath High School in 1988, but I wanted to make sure I went ahead and got it up here at the HP just as quickly as I possibly could.

The first moment I've been genuinely taken aback so far is--in "Between Class," the fifth video in the series--remembering the feel and smell of the brown, grooved-rubber stair treads. Thank you, Brad Kelley (brilliant choice on the Smithereens song for the opener, by the way), YouTube and Internet at large.

46 Teams Left

Personally, I don't think they should play high school basketball on Sunday.  But we have four big games today:

First Region Final (at Murray St. U.):

McCracken Co. (26-7) v. Marshall Co. (24-7)

Fifth Region Final (at Green Co.):

Adair Co. (27-7) v. Bethlehem (16-14)

Ninth Region Semi-Finals (at No. Kentucky U.):

Lloyd Memorial (25-8) v. (3) Newport (30-3)

(6) Cov. Catholic (26-5) v. (14) Cooper (23-8)

Girls' Sweet Sixteen, Saturday

Gameday, baby! Hopefully for our McCracken County High School Lady Mustangs: Gamesday!

— KHSAA RPI No. 4 Louisville Sacred Heart vs. No. 9 Winchester George Rogers Clark at 10 a.m. Central

— No. 3 McCracken County vs. No. 14 Henderson County at 12:30 p.m.

— State championship at 6 p.m. 

As you can see, it's going to be hard to maintain focus at West Area Workshops ...

Comments flow ...

Girls' Sweet Sixteen, Friday

Today's quarterfinals in Rupp Arena with KHSAA RPI rankings:

-- No. 34 Owensboro Catholic vs. No. 4 Louisville Sacred Heart at 10 a.m. Central
-- No. 9 Winchester George Rogers Clark vs. No. 7 London North Laurel at 12:30 p.m.

-- No. 19 Ashland Paul Blazer vs. No. 3 McCracken County at 5 p.m.

-- No. 24 Louisville Mercy vs. No. 14 Henderson County at 7:30 p.m.

Comments flow ...

Girls' Sweet Sixteen, Thursday

Oh, my ...

Comments flow.

42 Games Left

For so long, it seems as though we have an infinite supply of basketball, just like it seems like the winter will last forever.  But the season is running out fairly quickly now, and two of the most prominent teams in the Commonwealth were eliminated today:

1st Region Final (at Murray St. Univ.):

McCracken Co. 46, Mayfield 32

As we will see below, not all the favorites got it done today.  But the Mustangs did, and they will go to Rupp Arena with a record of 28-5.

5th Region Semi-Finals (at Taylor Co.):

Elizabethtown 65, Bardstown 53

LaRue Co. 67, Washington Co. 59

7th Region Semi-Finals (at Knights Hall, Bellarmine):

Lou. Male 75, (6) Lou. Ballard 67

Lou. Trinity 51, Lou. Manual 36

Male-Ballard is always a huge fixture.  Ballard was ranked because Ballard beat Male 80-71 on January 14 to win the LIT.  But Male beat Ballard 81-76 at Male on January 27, and today Male won the rubber match.

9th Region Semi-Finals (at N. Kentucky Univ.):

Cooper 57, (5) Cov. Catholic 54

Newport 49, Lloyd Memorial 42

The Ninth Region -- normally one of the strongest and stateliest regions in the Commonwealth has been nuts.  Covington Holy Cross was 21-7 and went to the finals of the All "A" Tournament, but they couldn't even get to the Region, as they were knocked off by Beechwood (11-20) in the 35th District.  And Covington Catholic was considered a strong possibility for State Champion, but they are out after losing to a Cooper team they had beaten 78-69 back on January 24.  CovCath finishes with a record of 27-5, and Cooper (17-12) will advance to play Newport (26-6) for the Regional Title.

Only one ticket to the State Tournament has been punched, and we have already lost four of the top ten teams in the Commonwealth:  (5) Covington Catholic, (6) Lou. Ballard, (7) Great Crossing, and (10) Lou. Evangel Christian.  Great Crossing lost to (2) Lex. Catholic, but the others were eliminated by teams from outside the top 10.

High School Basketball Update

Here's the latest top 20 in KHSAA Boys' Basketball, according to Max Preps:

1.  Warren Cent:  9-0

2.  Harlan:  8-0

3.  Cov. Catholic:  8-0

4.  McCracken Co:  8-0

5.  Great Crossing:  9-2

6.  Pulaski Co:  8-0

7.  Bowling Green:  8-0

8.  Lou. Ballard:  7-1

9.  Lou. Western:  10-1

10.  Collins:  9-1

11.  Lyon Co:  8-2

12.  Mason Co:  8-0

13.  George Rogers Clark:  6-2

14.  Marshall Co:  9-2

15.  Lex. Catholic:  6-1

16.  Boyd Co:  9-1

17.  Grant Co:  8-1

18.  Danville:  6-1

19.  N. Oldham:  7-4

20.  Bracken Co:  8-2

My guess is that the algorithm isn't properly counting the strength of schools in Louisville and Northern Kentucky, due to the low number of games played so far.  But it would be fun to have a season where McCracken County, Lyon County, and Marshall County are all in the top 15.

1975: khsfb Update

 

17 Aug 1975, Sun The Paducah Sun (Paducah, Kentucky) Newspapers.com

Here are previous and future 1975 reports.

NBA Update

The Celtics and Heat are tied at two games apiece, and the Mavs last night pulled to within 3-1 of the Warriors.

125 Games to Go

Only two games tonight, both in the First Region:

First Region Quarter-Finals (at Murray State U.):

Mayfield 64, Calloway Co. 54

(10) McCracken Co. 57, Fulton Co. 26

Dang!

30 Nov 1975, Sun The Paducah Sun (Paducah, Kentucky) Newspapers.com

 

30 Nov 1975, Sun The Paducah Sun (Paducah, Kentucky) Newspapers.com

HP Special Report: Ah, Paducah

This is an HP Special Report ... a conversation is unfolding this morning on the Facebook social-media platform (fanned by, among others, a star trumpeter in the 1984 Heath High School Marching Band of Pirates/former Boy Scouts of America Troop 4 patrol leader) about the history of Cardinal Point, and it is LIT!

 

Will advise as events warrant (i.e., comments flow!) ...

KHSAA Baseball Tournament

We are down to the quarter-finals at Legends Field in Lexington:

Wednesday, June 16:

Danville v. Lex. Lafayette

Collins v. McCracken Co.

Thursday, June 17:

Lyon Co. v. Whitley Co.

Hazard v. Lou. Trinity

McCracken County made the state semi-finals in every year from 2016 to 2019.  Here's what happened:

In 2016, St. X beat McCracken County 3-2 and went on to win the state tournament.

In 2017, Pleasure Ridge Park beat McCracken County 6-3 and went on to win the state tournament.

In 2018, Highlands beat McCracken County 4-3 and lost to St. X in the final.

In 2019, McCracken County beat Trinity 6-5 -- and then lost to Tates Creek 4-2 in the final.

8 Teams Left

Not too much drama today, but four deserving winners:

Boyle Co. 70, Paintsville 56

(10) Ashland Blazer 56, Knox Central 38

McCracken Co. 68, Bullitt East 56

Ft. Thomas Highlands 88, Muhlenberg Co. 60

So we are left with the champions of the 1st, 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 12th, and 16th regions.  Four of the final eight teams were ranked in the last AP top ten -- good job by the pollsters.  Another full day tomorrow (all times Central):

Friday, April 2:

10 A.M.:  (4) Elizabethtown Panthers (20-2) v. George Rogers Clark Cardinals (20-4)

1 P.M.:  (5) Lou. Ballard Bruins (20-2) v. (8) Bowling Green Purples (24-2)

4 P.M.:  Boyle Co. Rebels (22-4) v. (10) Ashland Blazer Tomcats (21-4)

7 P.M.:  McCracken Co. Mustangs (23-6) v. Ft. Thomas Highlands Bluebirds (27-4)

Hot 'n' Heavy

In the second semester of my eighth-grade year at Heath Middle School, I wrote a smooth-jazz song, “Hot ’n’ Heavy.” I still have the handprinted sheet music somewhere. I’ve been working a lot to smooth jazz recently, and we have an electric keyboard, and my wife for Christmas gave me a big pile of how-to-play-the-piano books. So what I’m saying is, look out--you never know.

Masters Golf Tournament

They're playing the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia, this weekend, and I'm really enjoying having it on in the background on mute. I'm finding it harder to be all that interested in sports results (other than the Dolphins') since the pandemic started. But I am glad sports are around, and I particularly enjoy seeing everybody in sweaters, socially distanced for the most part, out on this golf course. 

Autumn is probably now my favorite season. It used to be winter, but now the cold really bothers me. I still love winter, but autumn has probably inched slightly ahead of it in my ranking of favorite seasons. Spring and summer have pulled tight, too. Winter, autumn, spring and summer ... Winter, Autumn, Spring and Summer ... 

If I was a golf tournament, I'd feel like I am approaching the turn of my third round. Of course, no one knows the day or the hour, and I'm thankful for however long my tournament gets to go. I'm just telling you how I feel. Anyway, Winter--with its Christmases, blizzard of 1978, playing in the snow, NFL playoffs and all--got off to a historically tremendous start in my first round:

1. Winter 13 under par
2. Autumn -8
3. Summer -2
4. Spring -1

Pretty much every happy story of my whole love life have transpired in the Winter and Autumn, and so those two just continued to blister the course in my second round:

1. Winter -23
2. Autumn -17
3. Summer -6
4. Spring -6

But here in the last few years, that cold is really starting to hurt me--hips, hands, shoulders, etc. I guess it's the start of arthritis. I mean, Winter is still owning the course, but now I'm starting to wonder if it can hold off the field on my Sunday. Over the course of writing this post, I've come to realize that Winter remains in the lead of my tournament. Autumn is so steady and relentless in its game that it just felt like it had inched ahead. Through 52 real years and about 44 feels-like holes, here's where things stand:

1. Winter -26
2. Autumn -22
3. Spring -10
4. Summer -9

You'll note that all of the seasons are going way low. That's accurate. All of the seasons are really great.

Meanwhile, in Georgia, Tiger Woods just missed a six-or-so-foot birdie try by about a foot. He's 5-under late in the second round and four strokes and probably 15 or 20 golfers behind five guys tied for the lead at 9-under. I'm rooting for Eldrick Tont primarily, and then my second rooting favorite is a tie among all of the guys I've heard of who don't seem to act silly, who smile, who are polite with the reporters and who don't wear too tight of pants. Comments flow, maybe ...

44 Teams Left

Only five boys' basketball games yesterday, but a fair amount of drama:

1st Region Final (at Murray State Univ.):
McCracken Co. 43, Marshall Co. 42

Jackson Purchase twitter melted down over this game last night.  The two best basketball programs in the First Region met on Sunday afternoon in front of an enormous crowd at Murray State.  McCracken County swept Marshall in the regular season, winning 63-59 at Marshall on December 13, and winning 58-53 at home on January 10.  Yesterday's game, as often happens at the First Region Final, was a low-scoring, nerve-wracking affair.  Marshall County led 42-41, but was called for a foul with about two seconds left.  Rage and fury from the Marshall folks; two free throws and the lead for McCracken County.  Now Marshall has to go the length of the court.  They throw a long pass to half-court, where a Marshall player and a McCracken County player bump into each other going for the ball.  The Marshall player hits the floor and pleads for a foul.  No doing -- McCracken is going to state.  The place erupts with fans on both sides screaming and hollering.  And then everyone went home and argued about the officiating, the media, and pretty much every other aspect of Jackson Purchase life on Twitter.  And people say that tradition is dead.

5th Region Semi-Finals (at Taylor Co.):
(8) Elizabethtown 78, LaRue Co. 48
Bardstown 71, (5) John Hardin 63 (OT)

Spare a thought for John Hardin.  The Bulldogs didn't lose a game until January 21, winning the 2A State Tournament.  They were 30-3 going into yesterday, and were looking forward to a fourth game against E-Town in the regional final (they had gone 2-1 in the other three).  But instead they were upset by a red-hot Bardstown team that has lost only two games since December.  What a year for the Fifth Region.

Four of the 10 teams in the last AP poll -- (4) Lexington Catholic, (5) John Hardin, (7) Lex. Henry
Clay, and (9) South Laurel) -- have been eliminated.

14th Region Semi-Finals (at Knott Co. Cent.):
Wolfe Co. 74, Knott Co. Cent. 64
Hazard 65, Letcher Co. Cent. 38

1st Region Tournament, 2010-2019

Here are the last 10 finals of the First Region boys' basketball tournament:

2019:  Mayfield 56, McCracken Co. 44
2018:  McCracken Co. 42, Graves Co. 37
2017:  Graves Co. 77, Mayfield 71
2016:  Murray 55, McCracken Co. 47
2015:  Calloway Co. 48, Murray 35
2014:  McCracken Co. 43, Marshall Co. 41
2013:  Graves Co. 63, Calloway Co. 53
2012:  Marshall Co. 58, Paducah Tilghman 52
2011:  Marshall Co. 62, Paducah Tilghman 56
2010:  Paducah Tilghman 54, Graves Co. 46

McCracken Co. (2):  2014, 2018
Marshall Co. (2):  2011, 2012
Graves Co. (2):  2013, 2017
Mayfield (1):  2019
Murray (1):  2016
Calloway Co. (1):  2015
Paducah Tilghman (1):  2010

2013 was the last year that Heath, Lone Oak, and Reidland were eligible to win this tournament.  On March 1, 2013, Graves County beat Lone Oak 61-43 in the regional semi-finals, and that was the last appearance in the regional tournament by any of those teams.

Heath's last appearance in the First Region Tournament took place on March 3, 2011.  The Pirates were beaten by Graves County 48-36 in the regional quarter-finals.