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.
Showing posts with label First Region Basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label First Region Basketball. Show all posts
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Mayfield 62 - Ballard Memorial 55
Third District Semi-finals, Graves County High School, Mayfield, Kentucky 02-25-08
They call Ballard Memorial "The Bombers," which is one of my favorite nicknames in high school basketball. They often use a B-17 in their log, although the forces of political correctness have probably made them use it less and less. I was once told that they picked up the name "Bombers" because so many people in Ballard County worked at the Kentucky Munitions Plant where they made trinitrotolune (TNT) for bombs used in World War II.
On Tuesday night Ballard Memorial were bombers more in the sense of the movie "Ishtar." They weren't bombers. They weren't "da bomb." They were just a bomb.
During warmups, Mayfield went through drills and excercises like they were on a mission. Ballard Memorial's players stood around and chatted and took short shots right around the rim. They reminded me of my cronies and me when we were shooting around at the goal in Lyndon Baptist Church's parking lot. Fans would've never known that their season had the chance to end with this game. The players may have looked upon it as a mercy killing. They last tasted victory on January 5th when they flogged Community Christian (Paducah) 53-42.
Bombers playing Christians. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something humorous about that.
I saw Mayfield play on January 15th when they lost a tight one to Carlisle County, 67-65.
Ballard Memorial opened the game with a 2-3 zone, which appeared to be designed to contain Mayfield's Tony Hockett. Hockett could get around anyone on the Bombers squad, and he is very good around the basket. At first, Mayfield seemed reluctant to attack the zone, and it worked at containing Hockett.
Mayfield, however, started pressing Ballard Memorial and forced some turnovers. The Cardinals woke up after Xavier Shelton, a 6'1" sophomore made the nastiest block I've seen this season. A Bomber moved toward the basket and tried to put up a weak running jumper. Shelton reared back and swatted the ball way out-of-bounds. He sent that Bomber down in flames.
Mayfield had a small lead, 13-9, at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Mayfield got frustrated with Ballard Memorial's persistent zone, and the Cardinals started playing sloppy. Hockett had trouble finding his way into the zone, and at one point the Bombers had pulled within two. That's when Mayfield's Colby Sanderson, a 5'11" junior, decided to bomb the bombers. He nailed back-to-back three pointers, and in a flash, the Cardinals had a 23-15 lead. Sanderson tried to connect with a third long shot, but the ball rimmed off the basket. The Mayfield fans were chanting his name.
Mayfield had a 25-19 lead at halftime.
At halftime Mayfield's Coach Chris Guhy kept the Cardinals in the lockeroom for nearly the entire half. They didn't come back out onto the court until there was 50 seconds left on the clock.
They played the third quarter like Coach Guhy blistered them during the half. I suspect they might have to re-paint one of the lockerooms at Graves County High School this week. Hockett started finding his way into the paint, and the Cardinal's press forced the Bombers to turn the ball over. They also trapped effectively when Ballard tried to set-up their half court offense.
Mayfield outscored Ballard 21-11 in the third quarter to take a commanding 46-30 lead.
I thought the game was over, and in the fourth Mayfield pushed the lead out to 19 points two different times. Ballard Memorial -- this seemingly lowly team with only two victories on the season -- were not going to let Mayfield shoot them down so easily. They made a run at the Cardinals, led by Will "I-40" Mallory, who likes to go coast-to-coast and Brandon Bellamy. Late in the game, the Bombers cut the lead to seven points, but Mayfield was able to hold on to win, 62-55.
Mayfield will take on the winner of the Graves County vs. St. Mary's game on the 26th.
OBSERVATIONS
The Eagles' Nest: Graves County gym is a fantastic facility. I don't know how many fans it seats, but it has a lot seating, including good, steep wooden bleachers in the end zones. I had a second row chair back seat for which I paid $6.00. They had pennants for every team in the First Region hanging from railing at one end of the gym. It's well lighted and looks like a good court. That means that two of the best gyms I've been in this year are in Graves County (the best gym in the state is Mayfield's dome). Who says that the Jackson Purchase is all about football?
Proud Mary: "I left a good job in the city." Mayfield's band flat out rocks, and they are tied with Allen County-Scottsville's band for the best of the season. They whipped out the Ike and Tina Turner version of Proud Mary during warmups. The funniest headline I've seen recently was "Ike beats Tina Turner to Death." Ike Turner died in 2007. Anyway, the Cardinal band is large, loud, and good. There was no canned music piped in tonight, just the Mayfield band. At halftime they played The Commodores' "Brick.....House."
Flash Gordon: Hardly. Greg Gordon, the Ballard Memorial Bombers' 5'9" junior guard has the slowest three point shot in my life. It takes him forever to set up, cock, and fire. He hit one maybe two tonight. I could time him with a sun dial.
Gimme, Oh, Gimme a Redneck Girl: I wonder if Ballard's Brandon Bellamy has a brother and if they prefer girls with their names on the backs of their belts? He's too young to be an "Old Hippie" and probably not a bird on the wing.
Flighty District: The 3rd District features the Graves County Eagles, the Mayfield Cardinals, and the Ballard Memorial Bombers (B-17) variety. St. Mary is the "Vikings." They're the only thing flightless in this district.
They call Ballard Memorial "The Bombers," which is one of my favorite nicknames in high school basketball. They often use a B-17 in their log, although the forces of political correctness have probably made them use it less and less. I was once told that they picked up the name "Bombers" because so many people in Ballard County worked at the Kentucky Munitions Plant where they made trinitrotolune (TNT) for bombs used in World War II.
On Tuesday night Ballard Memorial were bombers more in the sense of the movie "Ishtar." They weren't bombers. They weren't "da bomb." They were just a bomb.
During warmups, Mayfield went through drills and excercises like they were on a mission. Ballard Memorial's players stood around and chatted and took short shots right around the rim. They reminded me of my cronies and me when we were shooting around at the goal in Lyndon Baptist Church's parking lot. Fans would've never known that their season had the chance to end with this game. The players may have looked upon it as a mercy killing. They last tasted victory on January 5th when they flogged Community Christian (Paducah) 53-42.
Bombers playing Christians. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something humorous about that.
I saw Mayfield play on January 15th when they lost a tight one to Carlisle County, 67-65.
Ballard Memorial opened the game with a 2-3 zone, which appeared to be designed to contain Mayfield's Tony Hockett. Hockett could get around anyone on the Bombers squad, and he is very good around the basket. At first, Mayfield seemed reluctant to attack the zone, and it worked at containing Hockett.
Mayfield, however, started pressing Ballard Memorial and forced some turnovers. The Cardinals woke up after Xavier Shelton, a 6'1" sophomore made the nastiest block I've seen this season. A Bomber moved toward the basket and tried to put up a weak running jumper. Shelton reared back and swatted the ball way out-of-bounds. He sent that Bomber down in flames.
Mayfield had a small lead, 13-9, at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Mayfield got frustrated with Ballard Memorial's persistent zone, and the Cardinals started playing sloppy. Hockett had trouble finding his way into the zone, and at one point the Bombers had pulled within two. That's when Mayfield's Colby Sanderson, a 5'11" junior, decided to bomb the bombers. He nailed back-to-back three pointers, and in a flash, the Cardinals had a 23-15 lead. Sanderson tried to connect with a third long shot, but the ball rimmed off the basket. The Mayfield fans were chanting his name.
Mayfield had a 25-19 lead at halftime.
At halftime Mayfield's Coach Chris Guhy kept the Cardinals in the lockeroom for nearly the entire half. They didn't come back out onto the court until there was 50 seconds left on the clock.
They played the third quarter like Coach Guhy blistered them during the half. I suspect they might have to re-paint one of the lockerooms at Graves County High School this week. Hockett started finding his way into the paint, and the Cardinal's press forced the Bombers to turn the ball over. They also trapped effectively when Ballard tried to set-up their half court offense.
Mayfield outscored Ballard 21-11 in the third quarter to take a commanding 46-30 lead.
I thought the game was over, and in the fourth Mayfield pushed the lead out to 19 points two different times. Ballard Memorial -- this seemingly lowly team with only two victories on the season -- were not going to let Mayfield shoot them down so easily. They made a run at the Cardinals, led by Will "I-40" Mallory, who likes to go coast-to-coast and Brandon Bellamy. Late in the game, the Bombers cut the lead to seven points, but Mayfield was able to hold on to win, 62-55.
Mayfield will take on the winner of the Graves County vs. St. Mary's game on the 26th.
OBSERVATIONS
The Eagles' Nest: Graves County gym is a fantastic facility. I don't know how many fans it seats, but it has a lot seating, including good, steep wooden bleachers in the end zones. I had a second row chair back seat for which I paid $6.00. They had pennants for every team in the First Region hanging from railing at one end of the gym. It's well lighted and looks like a good court. That means that two of the best gyms I've been in this year are in Graves County (the best gym in the state is Mayfield's dome). Who says that the Jackson Purchase is all about football?
Proud Mary: "I left a good job in the city." Mayfield's band flat out rocks, and they are tied with Allen County-Scottsville's band for the best of the season. They whipped out the Ike and Tina Turner version of Proud Mary during warmups. The funniest headline I've seen recently was "Ike beats Tina Turner to Death." Ike Turner died in 2007. Anyway, the Cardinal band is large, loud, and good. There was no canned music piped in tonight, just the Mayfield band. At halftime they played The Commodores' "Brick.....House."
Flash Gordon: Hardly. Greg Gordon, the Ballard Memorial Bombers' 5'9" junior guard has the slowest three point shot in my life. It takes him forever to set up, cock, and fire. He hit one maybe two tonight. I could time him with a sun dial.
Gimme, Oh, Gimme a Redneck Girl: I wonder if Ballard's Brandon Bellamy has a brother and if they prefer girls with their names on the backs of their belts? He's too young to be an "Old Hippie" and probably not a bird on the wing.
Flighty District: The 3rd District features the Graves County Eagles, the Mayfield Cardinals, and the Ballard Memorial Bombers (B-17) variety. St. Mary is the "Vikings." They're the only thing flightless in this district.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
More District Tournaments
As I've stated before, I never intended this blog to be about just the Fourth Region or just the Fifth Region. I want it to be about basketball in all of west Kentucky. I'd love to get to more games in the First, Second, and Third regions, but there is only one of me and only one of Chris. Two things: I thought gas prices would come down this winter, and my 14 year old pickup truck has developed a loud knock in the engine. I don't trust it for road trips anymore. It's the only piece of rolling stock the Pennyrile Pick and Roll owns.
I thought I'd put up district tournament information for the rest of west Kentucky.
FIRST REGION
District 1: Hickman County High School. Feb. 25th, 26th, and 29th.
First round pits Fulton City vs. Fulton County and Carlisle County vs. Hickman County.
District 2: Paducah Tilghman High School. Feb. 25th, 26th, and 29th.
Top seeded Tilghman will take on Reidland and Lone Oak and Heath will play in the lower bracket.
District 3: Graves County High School. Feb. 25th, 26th, and 28th.
Mayfield vs. Ballard Memorial in the first game, and Graves County will take on St. Mary in the second one. The championship game will most likely be between Mayfield and Graves, which could prove to be one of the better championship match ups in the state. It will be city vs. county, big school vs. little school, rival vs. rival.
District 4: Marshall County High School. Feb. 25th, 26th, and 28th.
First round has Marshall County vs. Paducah Community Christian and Murray and Calloway County.
SECOND REGION
District 5: Lyon County High School. Feb. 28th and March 1st.
The first round pits Livingston Central vs. Crittenden County and Lyon County vs. Trigg County.
District 6: Webster County High School. Feb. 26th and 29th.
The 6th District has only three teams. Union County and Webster County will play the first game, and the winner will take on Henderson County, which has already punched its ticket to the Second Region Tournament.
District 7: Madisonville-North Hopkins High School. Feb. 25th, 26th, and 28th.
The first round features Caldwell County vs. Madisonville-North Hopkins and Hopkins County Central vs. Dawson Springs.
District 8: Hopkinsville High School. Feb. 26th and 29th.
The first round will feature Hopkinsville vs. University Heights Academy and Fort Campbell vs. Christian County. UHA has two of the best players in the state with Scotty Hopson and Tyshwan Edmondson. The press loves Hopson, but Pick and Roll thinks Edmondson is the real talent for the Blazers. Hoptown and UHA could be one of the best district match ups in the entire Commonwealth.
THIRD REGION
District 9: I'm not sure where this one will be played. The way I see it, Apollo has the best district record and will play Owensboro Catholic, while Owensboro and Daviess County will play in the first round.
District 10: McLean County High School. Feb. 26th, 27th, and 29th.
The first round features top seed Muhlenberg North vs. McLean County and Muhlenberg South vs. Ohio County. Muhlenberg North is one of the best teams in the state.
District 11: Meade County High School. Feb. 26th and 29th.
The first round has Meade County vs. Frederick Fraize (yeah, yeah, I know they're Cloverport) and Breckinridge County vs. Hancock County.
District 12: Grayson County High School. Feb. 26th and 29th.
The first round features Edmonson County vs. Trinity (Whitesville) and Grayson County vs. Butler County. I recommend that people spend Leap Day in Grayson County watching the state's most gerrymandered basketball district and eating the best popcorn in high school basketball.
I thought I'd put up district tournament information for the rest of west Kentucky.
FIRST REGION
District 1: Hickman County High School. Feb. 25th, 26th, and 29th.
First round pits Fulton City vs. Fulton County and Carlisle County vs. Hickman County.
District 2: Paducah Tilghman High School. Feb. 25th, 26th, and 29th.
Top seeded Tilghman will take on Reidland and Lone Oak and Heath will play in the lower bracket.
District 3: Graves County High School. Feb. 25th, 26th, and 28th.
Mayfield vs. Ballard Memorial in the first game, and Graves County will take on St. Mary in the second one. The championship game will most likely be between Mayfield and Graves, which could prove to be one of the better championship match ups in the state. It will be city vs. county, big school vs. little school, rival vs. rival.
District 4: Marshall County High School. Feb. 25th, 26th, and 28th.
First round has Marshall County vs. Paducah Community Christian and Murray and Calloway County.
SECOND REGION
District 5: Lyon County High School. Feb. 28th and March 1st.
The first round pits Livingston Central vs. Crittenden County and Lyon County vs. Trigg County.
District 6: Webster County High School. Feb. 26th and 29th.
The 6th District has only three teams. Union County and Webster County will play the first game, and the winner will take on Henderson County, which has already punched its ticket to the Second Region Tournament.
District 7: Madisonville-North Hopkins High School. Feb. 25th, 26th, and 28th.
The first round features Caldwell County vs. Madisonville-North Hopkins and Hopkins County Central vs. Dawson Springs.
District 8: Hopkinsville High School. Feb. 26th and 29th.
The first round will feature Hopkinsville vs. University Heights Academy and Fort Campbell vs. Christian County. UHA has two of the best players in the state with Scotty Hopson and Tyshwan Edmondson. The press loves Hopson, but Pick and Roll thinks Edmondson is the real talent for the Blazers. Hoptown and UHA could be one of the best district match ups in the entire Commonwealth.
THIRD REGION
District 9: I'm not sure where this one will be played. The way I see it, Apollo has the best district record and will play Owensboro Catholic, while Owensboro and Daviess County will play in the first round.
District 10: McLean County High School. Feb. 26th, 27th, and 29th.
The first round features top seed Muhlenberg North vs. McLean County and Muhlenberg South vs. Ohio County. Muhlenberg North is one of the best teams in the state.
District 11: Meade County High School. Feb. 26th and 29th.
The first round has Meade County vs. Frederick Fraize (yeah, yeah, I know they're Cloverport) and Breckinridge County vs. Hancock County.
District 12: Grayson County High School. Feb. 26th and 29th.
The first round features Edmonson County vs. Trinity (Whitesville) and Grayson County vs. Butler County. I recommend that people spend Leap Day in Grayson County watching the state's most gerrymandered basketball district and eating the best popcorn in high school basketball.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Carlisle County 67 - Mayfield 65
Mayfield High School, Mayfield, Kentucky, 01-15-08
Several years ago, someone came into my office and asked about a place called "Carlizzle County." I had them point to it on the map, and they pointed to Carlisle County. By no stretch of the imagination am I proficient in "Snoop-speak," but I now call it "Carlizzle sizzle fo-shizzle." The Comets sizzled fo-shizzle in the "Pearl of the Purchase" on Tuesday night. Well, sizzling is a bit of stretch, but they did snatch a victory from the Cardinals in this First Region match up.
Mayfield entered the game with a 6-5 record in the First Region, but a 7-9 record overall. The Cardinals needed a victory to stay above .500 in the First, but Carlisle County came in with a 6-4 record in the region and 9-6 overall.
The Carlisle County team looked thin, and I only counted 8 or 9 players on the entire squad, so I was surprised to see them open up a three-quarter court, trapping press. Once in the half-court, they dropped back to no-frills 2-3 zone. Mayfield had a lot of trouble shooting over the zone in the first quarter, and they generally had trouble getting the ball in the basket. The Comets seemed to dare Mayfield to take outside jump shots, and it worked for them for awhile. Mayfield made a late charge in the quarter, but the Comets took a 17-14 lead to the break.
Mayfield picked up their defensive intensity, and it created some baskets for them. They needed to play transition basketball to keep Carlisle from setting up their 2-3 zone, which they kept packed tightly in the lane. Mayfield got the lead, but the Comets kept it close with the fantastic outside shooting. Carlisle's Ty Owens was a deadly shot along with teammate Rob Moran (I hope I have that right).
Kudos from the Pick and Roll for the pick and roll. Carlisle County ran a beautiful pick and roll play with the "roller" receiving a pass in the lane from the wing. They ran it several times and scored every time. I love to see that play, and if players execute it right, it works almost every time. They ran one that looked almost like the old "picket fence" play, and Mayfield got caught watching the paint dry.
Mayfield took a 29-28 lead to the locker room at the half.
I thought that Carlisle County was finished. Their players looked wheezy late in the second quarter, and Mayfield's pressure frustrated them.
In the third quarter Carlisle went back to the perimeter and Owens and Moran along with Luke Nichol punished Mayfield with some long three pointers. Mayfield could not get their transition game going again in the third and found themselves playing catch around the perimeter of the Comets' 2-3 zone.
There was some drama at the end of the third quarter. After a Mayfield basket, a Carlisle player step over the in-bounds line as he threw the ball in and turned it over to the Cardinals. Coach Chris Guhy for Mayfield pointed out that there should be more than 0.1 second left on the clock, so they put 0.7 on it. Mayfield threw the ball in, time ran out, and the horn sounded. The teams went to their benches, and the scorekeeper put 8:00 on the clock. The officials had a big confab out on the court with a lot pointing and talking, and, finally, they called both coaches onto the court.
The solution? They put 0.5 on the clock and let Mayfield run another inbounds play. The Carlisle County fans went crazy, screaming at the official. Mayfield missed the shot...again...and we went on with the fourth quarter with Carlisle leading 42-41.
I still thought Carlisle was going to run out of gas down the stretch, but they didn't. The game went back-and-forth throughout the quarter, and except for the Warren Central-Warren East game I attended in December, this was the most exciting game I've seen this season.
Mayfield let this one get away from them. They had plenty of opportunities to win.
First of all, Carlisle County couldn't hit a foul shot to save their lives through most of the game. I had been in Bardwell earlier in the day and snatched a couple of bricks as souvenirs from the wreckage of their courthouse, which was burned on December 26th. I should've brought the bricks with me and let the Comets use them to shoot freethrows. Heck, they shot enough bricks from the line to build their county a new courthouse.
At the very end of the game, when Mayfield had to foul to get possessions, the Carlisle County players sank every one of their free throws. Crazy. The Comets streaked into Mayfield and stole one from the Cardinals, 67-65.
OBSERVATIONS
I'm No Michael Vick: Or am I? I went to this game thinking I had no dog in the fight. The truth is that my father is a Mayfield alumnus, and my family has a long association with that school. I felt myself cheering for Mayfield throughout the game. I've been to several Mayfield football games, including their classic with Danville in the 1985 state championship game. I hadn't been to a Mayfield basketball game since they played in the Louisville Invitational Tournament in 1977 or 1978.
Up to Their Necks in Hock-ett: Mayfield's Tony Hockett is a heck of a ball player. He's got a good shot and can slash to the basket. I enjoyed watching him play. He hit a huge three point shot to keep Mayfield in the game at the very end. They should run more sets for that kid.
TWA?: Carlisle County has a player named Tony Wilson. The Hilltoppers had Tony "TWA" Wilson back in the 1980s. I can assure you, that the Comets' Tony Wilson will not threaten the former Topper as "Tony Wilson Airlines." Trust me.
What's That I Hear: Mayfield's cheerleaders actually cheer. They lead cheers, and I could hear them throughout the game. They didn't do any routines during the game or at halftime. Heck, if they had pom-poms, I would've thought I had entered a time warp.
The Dome: If anyone has seen Mayfield High School, they'd never forget the dome over the gymnasium. It is big and white and looks like a miniature Houston Astrodome. I remember when they were building it because my aunt lived on South First Street, which ended in the school's parking lot. I was a little kid, and the thing was a marvel to me.
They call it the Mayfield Sports Arena, and it really is an arena. I have to say that it is the best high school basketball facility I've been in. The court is well lighted, and the home team's side has comfortable chairback seats about halfway up the stands. Wooden bleachers fill the rest of the arena. They are close to the court and nothing obscures fans view of the court. It's fantastic. It's too bad. I give it the Pick and Roll "Three Thumbs Up Award." Former UofL forward Wiley Brown -- as always -- sponsors this award.
If any readers have an opportunity to see a game in this great facility, do not pass it up.
Toe-the-Line: Carlisle County's free throw shooters stepped over the foul stripe twice in Tuesday's game. I haven't seen that happen in years, and I saw it twice in the first half.
Several years ago, someone came into my office and asked about a place called "Carlizzle County." I had them point to it on the map, and they pointed to Carlisle County. By no stretch of the imagination am I proficient in "Snoop-speak," but I now call it "Carlizzle sizzle fo-shizzle." The Comets sizzled fo-shizzle in the "Pearl of the Purchase" on Tuesday night. Well, sizzling is a bit of stretch, but they did snatch a victory from the Cardinals in this First Region match up.
Mayfield entered the game with a 6-5 record in the First Region, but a 7-9 record overall. The Cardinals needed a victory to stay above .500 in the First, but Carlisle County came in with a 6-4 record in the region and 9-6 overall.
The Carlisle County team looked thin, and I only counted 8 or 9 players on the entire squad, so I was surprised to see them open up a three-quarter court, trapping press. Once in the half-court, they dropped back to no-frills 2-3 zone. Mayfield had a lot of trouble shooting over the zone in the first quarter, and they generally had trouble getting the ball in the basket. The Comets seemed to dare Mayfield to take outside jump shots, and it worked for them for awhile. Mayfield made a late charge in the quarter, but the Comets took a 17-14 lead to the break.
Mayfield picked up their defensive intensity, and it created some baskets for them. They needed to play transition basketball to keep Carlisle from setting up their 2-3 zone, which they kept packed tightly in the lane. Mayfield got the lead, but the Comets kept it close with the fantastic outside shooting. Carlisle's Ty Owens was a deadly shot along with teammate Rob Moran (I hope I have that right).
Kudos from the Pick and Roll for the pick and roll. Carlisle County ran a beautiful pick and roll play with the "roller" receiving a pass in the lane from the wing. They ran it several times and scored every time. I love to see that play, and if players execute it right, it works almost every time. They ran one that looked almost like the old "picket fence" play, and Mayfield got caught watching the paint dry.
Mayfield took a 29-28 lead to the locker room at the half.
I thought that Carlisle County was finished. Their players looked wheezy late in the second quarter, and Mayfield's pressure frustrated them.
In the third quarter Carlisle went back to the perimeter and Owens and Moran along with Luke Nichol punished Mayfield with some long three pointers. Mayfield could not get their transition game going again in the third and found themselves playing catch around the perimeter of the Comets' 2-3 zone.
There was some drama at the end of the third quarter. After a Mayfield basket, a Carlisle player step over the in-bounds line as he threw the ball in and turned it over to the Cardinals. Coach Chris Guhy for Mayfield pointed out that there should be more than 0.1 second left on the clock, so they put 0.7 on it. Mayfield threw the ball in, time ran out, and the horn sounded. The teams went to their benches, and the scorekeeper put 8:00 on the clock. The officials had a big confab out on the court with a lot pointing and talking, and, finally, they called both coaches onto the court.
The solution? They put 0.5 on the clock and let Mayfield run another inbounds play. The Carlisle County fans went crazy, screaming at the official. Mayfield missed the shot...again...and we went on with the fourth quarter with Carlisle leading 42-41.
I still thought Carlisle was going to run out of gas down the stretch, but they didn't. The game went back-and-forth throughout the quarter, and except for the Warren Central-Warren East game I attended in December, this was the most exciting game I've seen this season.
Mayfield let this one get away from them. They had plenty of opportunities to win.
First of all, Carlisle County couldn't hit a foul shot to save their lives through most of the game. I had been in Bardwell earlier in the day and snatched a couple of bricks as souvenirs from the wreckage of their courthouse, which was burned on December 26th. I should've brought the bricks with me and let the Comets use them to shoot freethrows. Heck, they shot enough bricks from the line to build their county a new courthouse.
At the very end of the game, when Mayfield had to foul to get possessions, the Carlisle County players sank every one of their free throws. Crazy. The Comets streaked into Mayfield and stole one from the Cardinals, 67-65.
OBSERVATIONS
I'm No Michael Vick: Or am I? I went to this game thinking I had no dog in the fight. The truth is that my father is a Mayfield alumnus, and my family has a long association with that school. I felt myself cheering for Mayfield throughout the game. I've been to several Mayfield football games, including their classic with Danville in the 1985 state championship game. I hadn't been to a Mayfield basketball game since they played in the Louisville Invitational Tournament in 1977 or 1978.
Up to Their Necks in Hock-ett: Mayfield's Tony Hockett is a heck of a ball player. He's got a good shot and can slash to the basket. I enjoyed watching him play. He hit a huge three point shot to keep Mayfield in the game at the very end. They should run more sets for that kid.
TWA?: Carlisle County has a player named Tony Wilson. The Hilltoppers had Tony "TWA" Wilson back in the 1980s. I can assure you, that the Comets' Tony Wilson will not threaten the former Topper as "Tony Wilson Airlines." Trust me.
What's That I Hear: Mayfield's cheerleaders actually cheer. They lead cheers, and I could hear them throughout the game. They didn't do any routines during the game or at halftime. Heck, if they had pom-poms, I would've thought I had entered a time warp.
The Dome: If anyone has seen Mayfield High School, they'd never forget the dome over the gymnasium. It is big and white and looks like a miniature Houston Astrodome. I remember when they were building it because my aunt lived on South First Street, which ended in the school's parking lot. I was a little kid, and the thing was a marvel to me.
They call it the Mayfield Sports Arena, and it really is an arena. I have to say that it is the best high school basketball facility I've been in. The court is well lighted, and the home team's side has comfortable chairback seats about halfway up the stands. Wooden bleachers fill the rest of the arena. They are close to the court and nothing obscures fans view of the court. It's fantastic. It's too bad. I give it the Pick and Roll "Three Thumbs Up Award." Former UofL forward Wiley Brown -- as always -- sponsors this award.
If any readers have an opportunity to see a game in this great facility, do not pass it up.
Toe-the-Line: Carlisle County's free throw shooters stepped over the foul stripe twice in Tuesday's game. I haven't seen that happen in years, and I saw it twice in the first half.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
The Murray Bank/Laker Classic @ Calloway County High School
McLean County vs. Calloway County 12-27-07
This was my first trip to Jeffrey Gymnasium at Calloway County High School, which is named for former Superintendent Buron "Boots" Jeffrey. The gym is a sunken horseshoe, which fans enter from the top, and the home side has plastic chair back seats while the rest are metal and plastic bleachers. It's a great place to watch a basketball game. I loved it. According to the program, Calloway County has called Jeffrey Gym home for 46 seasons, and their record there is 332 wins against 207 losses for a 61.6% winning percentage (a team should win about 75% of its home games). It holds 2,700 fans.
I wish that the locals called it "The Boot" to honor ole Buron. They could go German and call it "Das Boot," but that would be too Wolfgang Petersen.
I had no idea what to expect out of these two teams. I'm not a regular of First Region games, and I've never seen McLean County play, despite having several transplanted cousins attend high school there. I know that they're not a traditional Third Region power.
Calloway County beat Mayfield in overtime earlier in the day, which stretched their record to 8-2, which is a great start considering they lost all five starters off of last year's squad. I sort of thought that the Lakers might be the whipping boy of the First Region this season, but they are proving me wrong.
The first half of this game was like a Marvelous Marvin Haggler vs. Thomas "Hit Man" Hearns boxing match. Both threw a lot of punches, and both took a lot of punches. At the end of the first quarter, the game was tied at 15. At the end of the half it was tied at 28. The two teams played 16 minutes of basketball and accomplished nothing. It was sort of like getting to the fifth round of one of those legendary pugilist matches between Haggler and Hearns.
McLean County's 6'4" center, Nick Heflin, caught my eye. He showed good hands for catching passes and a soft touch around the rim. The Cougars have a sharp little play they use when attacking a zone. They throw a skip pass right over the top of the key, and the wing player throws a quick pass into the post, who has position on the block. It worked real well for them in the first half. They shot 64% from the field.
Josh Whitt, a senior guard, is the Cougars' floor leader. I liked the way he handled himself on the court, and he played very good defense. McLean started three seniors and two juniors.
Calloway County, on the other hand, has no seniors on this year's squad. They start three juniors and two sophomores. They are very young.
One sophomore is a forward/center named Tyrell Willis. He's 6'3" 225 pounds and is built more like a sophomore at Murray State than a one in high school. He stout and muscular, and his frame makes him look shorter than he really is. He's quick and has good leaping ability. He was lost on defense sometimes, but, heck, the guy is in his second year of high school basketball.
I've never seen anything like this. At halftime nearly every little boy in the gym came down onto the court and played or shot basketball. They freely go to a ball cart at one end of the court and take balls and shoot them. It was bedlam on the court between halves and no one seemed to care. I thought it was pretty cool. My four year old would be ecstatic at such an opportunity. When the teams returned the floor, the kids put the balls up or threw them to players and there were no problems. It looks like it may be a tradition at Jeffrey Gym -- a good one.
Calloway County picked up their defensive energy to start the third quarter. By the 5:15 mark they had a 39-30 advantage, and they outscored the Cougars 20-14 in the frame to take a 48-42 lead into the fourth.
Laker forward, Joseph Kelly, whose brother Benji starred for the Lakers in the late 1980s, caught fire in the second half. He opened the fourth quarter with a 3 point goal and hit some other big baskets that took the air out of McLean. Kelly is not a starter but plays a considerable number of minutes. I can tell that his big brother has put some smack down on him in the driveway at home because the kid can play under pressure.
McLean County was spent in the fourth quarter. They executed their skip pass and touch pass to the post several times in the second half. They got the ball where it needed to be, but the post player could not finish the play. They looked tired, and they had already lost to Mayfield in the afternoon match up, so they probably had no legs left.
In 1980, the Louisville Cardinals had a player named Pancho Wright, who came off of the bench for Denny Crum's national championship team. Pancho coined the now famous phrase "The Ville is goin to Naptown." Wright wasn't know for his passing ability, but he had a fantastic high arching jumpshot that he rarely missed. McLean's Chris "NCAA" Bracket let a 24 foot jumper fly tonight that I thought was going to scrape the rafters at Jeffrey Gym. It probably hit the radar at Paducah's airport it was so high, and it hit nothing but net.
Despite Bracket's arching three pointer, the Cougars cooled off in the second half. They ended up shooting 43% for the game. Calloway County out rebounded them 41-27.
The Lakers put up 27 fourth quarter points, while McLean scored 13. Calloway won 75-55.
OBSERVATIONS
Old Timers?: At halftime the Lakers hosted an "Old Timers Shootout." They brought out Benji Kelly from their 1989 squad and another guy from a team in the 1990s for a free throw shooting contest. The 1990s "old timer" missed all five of his shots. Benji Kelly shot with beautiful form, had nice rotation on the ball, and a good straight line. His first four shots toed off the front of the rim. He hit is his fifth one, though. Little brother Joseph fared much better in the second half.
Plus, how the heck can you call these guys "old timers"? They're younger than me.
Save the Zebras: I didn't catch the names of tonight's officiating crew, but they did an excellent job. They talked to the players and warned them for rough play instead of blowing their whistles every nine or ten seconds. It was well called and well handled.
Bumpus Hounds: Since I've seen the movie "A Christmas Story" about twenty times since Thanksgiving, I couldn't help but notice that one of Calloway County's players was named Jordan Bumpus. I wonder if he's had a hound dog get his ear caught in a neighbor's door.
Where's His Propeller Beanie?: Calloway County frosh Brock Simmons has a wonderful jump shot. He hit one or two very nice three pointers, and he plays solid basketball. He doesn't start but comes in the game soon after the start of the half and plays most of the game. He tried to drive the lane against McLean County, but they made him eat Spalding. Simmons is going to be a good ballplayer, though.
This was my first trip to Jeffrey Gymnasium at Calloway County High School, which is named for former Superintendent Buron "Boots" Jeffrey. The gym is a sunken horseshoe, which fans enter from the top, and the home side has plastic chair back seats while the rest are metal and plastic bleachers. It's a great place to watch a basketball game. I loved it. According to the program, Calloway County has called Jeffrey Gym home for 46 seasons, and their record there is 332 wins against 207 losses for a 61.6% winning percentage (a team should win about 75% of its home games). It holds 2,700 fans.
I wish that the locals called it "The Boot" to honor ole Buron. They could go German and call it "Das Boot," but that would be too Wolfgang Petersen.
I had no idea what to expect out of these two teams. I'm not a regular of First Region games, and I've never seen McLean County play, despite having several transplanted cousins attend high school there. I know that they're not a traditional Third Region power.
Calloway County beat Mayfield in overtime earlier in the day, which stretched their record to 8-2, which is a great start considering they lost all five starters off of last year's squad. I sort of thought that the Lakers might be the whipping boy of the First Region this season, but they are proving me wrong.
The first half of this game was like a Marvelous Marvin Haggler vs. Thomas "Hit Man" Hearns boxing match. Both threw a lot of punches, and both took a lot of punches. At the end of the first quarter, the game was tied at 15. At the end of the half it was tied at 28. The two teams played 16 minutes of basketball and accomplished nothing. It was sort of like getting to the fifth round of one of those legendary pugilist matches between Haggler and Hearns.
McLean County's 6'4" center, Nick Heflin, caught my eye. He showed good hands for catching passes and a soft touch around the rim. The Cougars have a sharp little play they use when attacking a zone. They throw a skip pass right over the top of the key, and the wing player throws a quick pass into the post, who has position on the block. It worked real well for them in the first half. They shot 64% from the field.
Josh Whitt, a senior guard, is the Cougars' floor leader. I liked the way he handled himself on the court, and he played very good defense. McLean started three seniors and two juniors.
Calloway County, on the other hand, has no seniors on this year's squad. They start three juniors and two sophomores. They are very young.
One sophomore is a forward/center named Tyrell Willis. He's 6'3" 225 pounds and is built more like a sophomore at Murray State than a one in high school. He stout and muscular, and his frame makes him look shorter than he really is. He's quick and has good leaping ability. He was lost on defense sometimes, but, heck, the guy is in his second year of high school basketball.
I've never seen anything like this. At halftime nearly every little boy in the gym came down onto the court and played or shot basketball. They freely go to a ball cart at one end of the court and take balls and shoot them. It was bedlam on the court between halves and no one seemed to care. I thought it was pretty cool. My four year old would be ecstatic at such an opportunity. When the teams returned the floor, the kids put the balls up or threw them to players and there were no problems. It looks like it may be a tradition at Jeffrey Gym -- a good one.
Calloway County picked up their defensive energy to start the third quarter. By the 5:15 mark they had a 39-30 advantage, and they outscored the Cougars 20-14 in the frame to take a 48-42 lead into the fourth.
Laker forward, Joseph Kelly, whose brother Benji starred for the Lakers in the late 1980s, caught fire in the second half. He opened the fourth quarter with a 3 point goal and hit some other big baskets that took the air out of McLean. Kelly is not a starter but plays a considerable number of minutes. I can tell that his big brother has put some smack down on him in the driveway at home because the kid can play under pressure.
McLean County was spent in the fourth quarter. They executed their skip pass and touch pass to the post several times in the second half. They got the ball where it needed to be, but the post player could not finish the play. They looked tired, and they had already lost to Mayfield in the afternoon match up, so they probably had no legs left.
In 1980, the Louisville Cardinals had a player named Pancho Wright, who came off of the bench for Denny Crum's national championship team. Pancho coined the now famous phrase "The Ville is goin to Naptown." Wright wasn't know for his passing ability, but he had a fantastic high arching jumpshot that he rarely missed. McLean's Chris "NCAA" Bracket let a 24 foot jumper fly tonight that I thought was going to scrape the rafters at Jeffrey Gym. It probably hit the radar at Paducah's airport it was so high, and it hit nothing but net.
Despite Bracket's arching three pointer, the Cougars cooled off in the second half. They ended up shooting 43% for the game. Calloway County out rebounded them 41-27.
The Lakers put up 27 fourth quarter points, while McLean scored 13. Calloway won 75-55.
OBSERVATIONS
Old Timers?: At halftime the Lakers hosted an "Old Timers Shootout." They brought out Benji Kelly from their 1989 squad and another guy from a team in the 1990s for a free throw shooting contest. The 1990s "old timer" missed all five of his shots. Benji Kelly shot with beautiful form, had nice rotation on the ball, and a good straight line. His first four shots toed off the front of the rim. He hit is his fifth one, though. Little brother Joseph fared much better in the second half.
Plus, how the heck can you call these guys "old timers"? They're younger than me.
Save the Zebras: I didn't catch the names of tonight's officiating crew, but they did an excellent job. They talked to the players and warned them for rough play instead of blowing their whistles every nine or ten seconds. It was well called and well handled.
Bumpus Hounds: Since I've seen the movie "A Christmas Story" about twenty times since Thanksgiving, I couldn't help but notice that one of Calloway County's players was named Jordan Bumpus. I wonder if he's had a hound dog get his ear caught in a neighbor's door.
Where's His Propeller Beanie?: Calloway County frosh Brock Simmons has a wonderful jump shot. He hit one or two very nice three pointers, and he plays solid basketball. He doesn't start but comes in the game soon after the start of the half and plays most of the game. He tried to drive the lane against McLean County, but they made him eat Spalding. Simmons is going to be a good ballplayer, though.
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