The Heath Post

By the way, the last school merger in this part of the Commonwealth took place at the beginning of the 1972-73 season, when the Fredonia Yellowjackets merged into Caldwell County.

Other facts about this district:

Princeton Dotson, the school for African-Americans in Princeton, merged with Caldwell County at the beginning of the 1963-64 school year.

During the 1957-58 season, Salem High School merged with Livingston County to form Livingston Central.

Before the 1957-58 school year, Marion High School merged with Crittenden County High School.

Before the 1950-51 school year, Shady Grove H.S., Tolu H.S., Mattoon H.S., and Frances H.S. merged to form Crittenden County High School.

In its last year of existence (1950), Frances High School won the Sixth District Tournament with big wins over Mattoon (75-29), Marion (75-30), and Livingston County (59-38). In the 2d Region tournament, Frances beat Lyon County 59-55 to reach the semi-finals. But in the semi-final, Frances lost to Guthrie 47-45 in its final game. Frances ended the year with a record of 32-4.

Before the 1947-48 school year, Kuttawa High School and Eddyville High School merged to form Lyon Co.

Last Night's Boys' Basketball Scores

Just to supplement Eric's coverage, here some scores from last night.

These were district title games, so the losers still advance to regionals. Rough night for the home teams. I really wish I could have been in Eddyville for that game:

3d District (at Graves Co.):
St. Mary 66, Graves Co. 48

5th District (at Lyon Co.):
Livingston Central 58, Lyon Co. 55

6th District (at Henderson Co.):
Webster Co. 56, Henderson Co. 44

7th District (at Caldwell Co.):
Madisonville-North Hopkins 78, Caldwell Co. 49

The only other game of note is from the 17th District, where Elizabethtown (the 2000 State Champ) was eliminated 61-58 by North Hardin.

I looked all over the Internet for the Buckhorn/Perry County Central score the other night, but couldn't find it. As Eric reported, Buckhorn (23-5) stunned Perry County Central (23-5) to eliminate the team that Litkenhous had identified as the favorite in the 14th Region. Perry County Central had only lost two games to teams from Kentucky all year.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Album Review: The Old Magic by Nick Lowe

Nick Lowe is such an interesting story, and I would recommend taking a look at his bio at allmusic.com.

Today Lowe is essentially a quiet crooner who wraps his songs in the simple sounds of 50's rock. The strength of Lowe is his lyrical abilities and his understanding of how to structure simple pop tunes. The marriage of his smart lyrics and easy presentation can make listening to one of his albums a bit infectious.

For me his latest stuff has been a bit too slowed down and so I struggle to get through a full album without wanting to move on, but still if you're in the right mood these albums can be real gems.

Following the Rhapsody rating method I give it 2 out of 5 stars for Not Bad.

Oh, Kentucky

If we had known it was going to become Steven Curtis Chapman Day, the Kentucky desk would've baked and/or eaten a cake yesterday.

Bad jobs news from Paducah.

State of emergency in Evarts.

April Madness in Aurora!

Ones and dones: Thanks, GoHeath, for your summary of last night's boys' games. ... Coach Fudge's call for a Columbia "blue out" pulled the Adair County girls through at Taylor County in the 20th District, but the boys lost by two to the home team. ... Etown John over Radcliff North in girls' 17th. "The John Hardin Lady Bulldogs made history against North Hardin in the regular season, but the Lady Trojans weren’t about to let it happen again in the postseason," writes Nathaniel Bryan in today's News-Enterprise. ... Henderson County's boys play at home against Webster County tonight for the Sixth District championship, but that's not the story getting the attention in Henderson. ... Russellvillians can now commence making their travel plans to Bowling Green for next week's Fourth Region tournaments. ...

Also on tap tonight: From Paducah's Maiden Alley Cinema, it's the McCracken County district Poetry Out Loud competition. (You've got to figure this kid to be the favorite out in the Harlan County district.) It is very, very excellent and appropriate that the Heath sophomore will be reciting a Vachel Lindsay poem. Vachel Lindsay got clobbered then and gets clobbered now for a lot of what he wrote, for a lot of different reasons. But let me say this: That guy was, as a great writing teacher at WKU used to put it, "a writing man," baby. "General William Booth Enters Into Heaven" (50 stars) is just a masterful piece of work that literally makes my hands shake when I read it. Here's ... well, heck, here's the whole thing (hooray for public domain, and rest in peace, Vachel Lindsay):

[To be sung to the tune of The Blood of the
Lamb with indicated instrument]

I
[Bass drum beaten loudly.]

BOOTH led boldly with his big bass drum—
(Are you washed in the blood of the
Lamb?)
The Saints smiled gravely and they said:
"He's come."
(Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)
Walking lepers followed, rank on rank,
Lurching bravoes from the ditches dank,
Drabs from the alleyways and drug fiends
pale—
Minds still passion-ridden, soul-powers frail:—
Vermin-eaten saints with mouldy breath,
Unwashed legions with the ways of Death—
(Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)
[Banjos.]
Every slum had sent it half-a-score
The round world over. (Booth had groaned for more.)
Every banner that the wide world flies
Bloomed with glory and transcendent dyes.
Big-voiced lasses made their banjos bang,
Tranced, fanatical they shrieked and sang:—
"Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?"
Hallelujah! It was queer to see
Bull-necked convicts with that land make free.
Loons with trumpets blowed a blare, blare, blare
On, on upward thro' the golden air!
(Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)

II

[Bass drum slower and softer.]
Booth died blind and still by Faith he trod,
Eyes still dazzled by the ways of God.
Booth led boldly, and he looked the chief
Eagle countenance in sharp relief,
Beard a-flying, air of high command
Unabated in that holy land.
[Sweet flute music.]
Jesus came from out the court-house door,
Stretched his hands above the passing poor.
Booth saw note, but led his queer ones there
Round and round the mighty court-house square.
Yet in an instant all that blear review
Marched on spotless, clad in raiment new.
The lame were straightened, withered limbs uncurled
And blind eyes opened on a new, sweet world.

[Bass drum louder.]
Drabs and vixens in a flash made whole!
Gone was the weasel-head, the snout, the jowl!
Sages and sibyls now, and athletes clean,
Rulers of empires, and of forests green!

[Grand chorus of all instruments. Tambourines to the foreground.]
The hosts were sandalled, and their wings were fire!
(Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)
But their noise played havoc with the angel-choir.
(Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?)
O, shout Salvation! It was good to see
Kings and Princes by the Lamb set free.
The banjos rattled and tambourines
Jing-jing-jingled in the hands of Queens.

[Reverently sung, no instruments.]
And when Booth halted by the curb for prayer
He saw his Master thro' the flag-filled air.
Christ came gently with a robe and crown
For Booth the soldier, while the throng knelt down.
He saw King Jesus. They were face to face,
And he knelt a-weeping in that holy place.
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Great Paducah Sun story about a gift to Murray from the City of the Big Shoulders.

Rest in peace, Hunter S. Thompson, too. It would've been fun to see what he wrote about this.

Which, of course, leads us to Owensboro's Johnny Depp. The end.

Tubby and Izzo: A Tale of Two Coaches

Thoughts on Minnesota's 61-66 loss at home to Michigan State last night, from someone who has spent a great deal of time thinking about Tubby Smith.

I turned this game off tonight while Minnesota was still in the lead, because I've sat through enough Tubby/Izzo match-ups to know what was coming.

I'm not sure that any coach has ever done more to damage the reputation of another coach than Izzo has done to Tubby. On March 21, 1999, Tubby Smith was a genius who had won the national championship in his rookie season at Kentucky and who was on the verge of taking his Cats to yet another final four. In the Elite Eight against Michigan State, Tubby's Wildcats were leading the Number-2 Spartans 36-35 at the half. But in the second half, Michigan State got hot from the outside and beat Kentucky 73-65.

Six years later, On March 27, 2005, Tubby was trying desperately to get back to the Final Four for the first time since 1998, and thereby restore his reputation as a big-time winner. His Wildcats, ranked number 7 in the country, needed only to beat number 15 Michigan State in the Elite Eight to set up a glamorous Final Four match-up with UNC. At the half, the Wildcats led 37-33. But they blew that lead, and needed a miracle shot from Patrick Sparks to get into overtime. At the end of overtime, the game was tied and UK had the ball -- but they couldn't get off a shot. In double overtime, the Spartans pulled away for a 94-88 victory. Two years later, Tubby's career in Lexington was over.

Tubby went to Minnesota, seeking to rebuild his reputation and prove that the UK fans who doubted him were wrong. But in his first four seasons there, he only made two trips to the NCAA's, and was never seeded higher than 10th. This year, his team was on the bubble, but tonight's loss probably knocked them off of it. A big part of his trouble is that he cannot beat Michigan State -- the Gophers are 1-11 against Izzo's men since Tubby arrived. Seven of those losses -- including the one tonight -- were by less than 10 points.

Last Night's Boys' Basketball Scores

Only one boys' district tournament game tonight, as we say good-bye to the Murray Tigers:

4th District (at Murray):

Calloway Co. 59, Murray 56

And with that, we have the following match-ups in the District Finals:

First Region:

1st District: Fulton City (15-12) v. Carlisle Co. (14-13)

2d District: Paducah Tilghman (15-13) v. Lone Oak (14-16)

3d District: St. Mary (19-10) v. Graves Co. (19-12)

4th District: Marshall Co. (28-2) v. Calloway Co. (11-18)

Second Region:

5th District: Livingston Central (20-10) v. Lyon Co. (15-15)

6th District: Webster Co. (19-10) v. Henderson Co. (17-13)

7th District: Caldwell Co. (4-23) v. Madisonville-North Hopkins (20-8)

8th District: Hopkinsville (28-2) v. Christian Co. (8-20)

In the rest of the Commonwealth, a number of proud programs were eliminated, including Owensboro (State Champion in 1949, 1972, and 1980); Shelby County (State Champion in 1966 and 1978); Lexington Dunbar (State Runner-Up in 1992 and 1994); and Paintsville (State Champion in 1996).

There were also a few other games of note:

Covington Holy Cross, the Class All-"A" Champion -- which had a record of 28-2 and had not lost since January 12 -- was eliminated in triple overtime by the always-dangerous Covington Catholic, 81-74.

Lexington Henry Clay, State Champion in 1918, 1919, 1920, 1922, 1924, and 1983, was 22-6 just a few weeks ago, and was riding a 13-game winning streak that included wins over Madison Central (29-1) and Scott County (27-4). But the Blue Devils lost their last two games of the season to Lafayette and George Rogers Clark, and tonight Lexington Bryan Station (which is now 12-19) bounced them out of the tournament by the score of 60-54.

And finally, last night Danville beat the Kentucky School for the Deaf 81-8. Personally, I'm all for trying to win and doing your best, but I had to wonder whether Danville's coach had any second thoughts about beating a deaf team by 73 points. Anyway, tonight Danville played a team with hearing players, and Lincoln County ended the Admirals' season by the score of 48-42.

Pages

Friday, February 24, 2012

Thursday, February 23, 2012