AAA-Non-Sports Blogs
Purples’ power: talent with experience
BY MIKE FIELDS (March 17, 2017)
Bowling Green took out No. 1 Scott County 68-53 in the quarterfinals of the Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16 Friday afternoon.
“That was the best basketball team we’ve played all year, bar none,” Purples Coach D.G. Sherrill said after his team posted its 27th consecutive victory.
Bowling Green played like Rupp Arena was its home floor, which is understandable.
For talented seniors Terry Taylor and DeAngelo Wilson, this was their eighth state tournament game in the last three years, and Kyran Jones’ seventh.
Bowling Green lost to Owensboro in the 2015 finals and to eventual champion Paul Laurence Dunbar in last year’s quarterfinals.
Taylor, a fluid 6-foot-6 swingman, had 20 points, 14 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals against Scott County. He now has 128 points and 65 rebounds in Rupp.
Wilson, a mercurial 5-10 guard, had 20 points, 5 steals and 3 rebounds. He now has 95 points in […]
Bobby Keith’s Sweet 16 legacy
BY MIKE FIELDS (March 17, 2017)
The 100th Sweet 16 celebration this week in Rupp Arena is missing one of the most important figures in Kentucky high school basketball history.
Legendary Clay County Coach Bobby Keith died last fall, leaving all those who knew him with heartache. He was a remarkable coach and remarkable man.
Keith is best known for guiding Clay County to the 1987 state championship, and runner-up finishes in 1985 and ’88.
But his personal Sweet 16 experience went back 60 years.
Keith was in the lineup for Clay County when the Tigers played Hazard in the first round of the 1957 Sweet 16 in Freedom Hall. That was the first KHSAA-sponsored state tournament after integration, and Hazard’s Bob Baker, Don Smith and Linville Wright became the first black players to play in the Sweet 16.
Keith didn’t score in the 50-47 loss to Hazard, but he was honored to have been part of […]
Collins basketball now has stories to tell
BY MIKE FIELDS (March 16, 2017)
Collins’ basketball program’s seven-year itch to win a game in the state tournament finally got scratched.
The Titans pulled away in overtime to beat Elliott County 65-57 in the Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16 in Rupp Arena Thursday night.
It was the first state tournament victory for Collins, which was created when Shelby County was split in two high schools in 2010. The Titans also won the 8th Region in 2015, but lost their Sweet Sixteen opener to eventual state champ Owensboro.
Collins dodged a bullet — or more accurately, it got in the way of a charging Lion — in Thursday night’s win over Elliott County.
After the Titans’ Dominique Turner hit two free throws with :08.5 left, the Lions’ Korbin Spencer went the length of the court and attacked the rim. But Charlie Cochran was there to take a charge.
Collins scored the first seven points in OT and was on […]
The ‘Worm’ turned in most dynamic dunk in Sweet 16
BY MIKE FIELDS (March 16, 2017)
Perry County Central’s Damon Tobler had an impressive dunk during the Commodores’ win over Pikeville in the Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16 on Wednesday. It was just for show, though, because the slam was erased when Tobler was whistled for a foul on the play.
Even if it had counted, however, it wouldn’t have come close to matching the most dynamic and most important state tournament dunk I can remember.
Warren Central’s Lonnell “Worm” Dewalt had the jam of all jams in the 2004 title game against defending champion Mason County.
In the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, Warren Central was clinging to a 58-54 lead when Dewalt had a rebound slam off a miss by Matt Maresca to push the margin to 60-54.
But that wasn’t the Dewalt dunk that brought down the house.
On the Dragons’ next possession, Brock Whitney missed a three-pointer and . . .
Let’s let Tim Riley, […]
Oh, my, Ohmer goes for 41 points, 17 rebounds
BY MIKE FIELDS (March 15, 2017)
Jake Ohmer was Mr. Low Key after going for 41 points, 17 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 assists in Scott’s 77-65 victory over Harlan County in the Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16 Tuesday night.
It was the highest scoring performance in the state tournament since Elizabethtown’s Antwain Barbour had 42 against Russellville in 2000.
Asked how it felt to be Jake Ohmer after his star turn in Rupp Arena, the 5-foot-9 senior guard deflected the glory.
“It feels good, but I’m more glad about how our team played together and how we came out and got the win,” he said.
Coach Steve Fromeyer was quick to point out that his Eagles aren’t “Jake Ohmer and the four misfits. We have good pieces around him.”
Ohmer has a team-first attitude, too. But he’s also used to being the media darling this post-season.
The University of the Cumberlands’ commit has 145 points in Scott’s last four […]
Pikeville proud: Hillard Howard
BY MIKE FIELDS (March 15, 2017)
Hillard Howard has been living in Florida the past seven years, but he’s back visiting his old Kentucky home this week for two good reasons.
Even though Pikeville lost to Perry County Central in their Sweet Sixteen opener Wednesday afternoon, Howard was proud of what the Panthers accomplished this season.
“It’s amazing, really, for Elisha to come in […]
Vogt votes for NKU over UK
BY MIKE FIELDS (March 15, 2017)
When Kentucky plays Northern Kentucky University in the first round of the NCAA tournament Friday night, there’ll be at least one TV viewer in Lexington rooting for the Norsemen to pull off an upset for the ages.
“I was a Kentucky fan growing up, but I’ve gotta cheer for NKU in this one,” Chris Vogt said.
Vogt, a 6-foot-11 senior who led Graves County to the Sweet Sixteen, signed with the NKU last fall. Vogt and his teammates lost to Bowling Green in the opening game of the state tournament on Wednesday, but they’ll stay in town the rest of the week.
That means Vogt will be looking for someplace to watch the UK-NKU game where he’s not surrounded by Big Blue fans.
“That’ll be tough, especially in Lexington,” he said with a smile.
Vogt, who averaged 16.8 points and 9.2 rebounds this season, had 8 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocked shots in Graves […]
Welcome back, Bobby Flynn
BY MIKE FIELDS (March 15, 2017)
It was great to see Bobby Flynn back in Rupp Arena on Wednesday for the 100th Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16.
Flynn has been a fixture at state tournaments for more than 40 years as a volunteer, mostly working along press row.
He was noticeably absent last year, however, due to health issues. He suffered broken ribs and broken collarbone in a fall, and after recovering from those injuries, he fell again and suffered a broken back.
“I’m still hurting in my back, but I’m doing a lot better,” said Flynn, who will turn 90 this July.
Bobby’s son Doug said bringing his dad to the Sweet 16 “is the best therapy in the world for him and for all of us. His whole life has revolved around basketball. This is like family for us. We hope this gets him all pumped up and really gets him going.”
Bobby was wearing […]
Phil Cox and his ‘Loyall’ mentor, Billy Hicks
BY MIKE FIELDS (March 14, 2017)
Before Phil Cox became Vanderbilt’s all-time leading scorer in 1985, before he starred at Cawood High School and became Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball in 1981, he first realized what the game might hold for him as an eighth-grader at Loyall Junior High in Harlan County.
And he credits his eighth-grade coach, Billy Hicks, for opening his eyes to the future.
Cox and Hicks, who hadn’t seen each other in more than 25 years, traded stories about the good ol’ days Tuesday morning, before a press conference at Lexington’s Griffin Gate Marriott announcing the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame’s Centennial inductees for 2017.
Cox will be among the honorees at this summer’s ceremony in Elizabethtown. Hicks, the winningest high school coach in Kentucky history who has Scott County back in the Sweet Sixteen this week, was inducted into the Hall of Fame last year.
Cox, now the principal at Jefferson Middle School […]
Richie Farmer’s ‘Sweet’ memories
BY MIKE FIELDS (March 14, 2017)
Richie Farmer clearly recalls how his record-setting Sweet Sixteen career began in Rupp Arena 33 years ago this week.
Clay County had a big lead on Owensboro in their first-round game when Farmer, an eighth-grader, took the floor with 1:08 remaining.
Then, with the clock ticking away, “I got the ball in the middle of the floor against their press, coming down on the break, and I hit a little 12-footer in the lane (with :05 left),” Farmer said last week.
“It was a shot I’ll never forget. It was an unbelievable feeling, being a kid who grew up dreaming of playing in the state tournament in Rupp Arena, and getting to live that dream.”
Farmer, however, doesn’t remember the final shot of his Sweet Sixteen career. It came in a losing effort against Ballard in the 1988 finals in Freedom Hall.
He hit a straight-away 22-foot three-pointer with 14 seconds […]
03/13/17 – Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16® Broadcast Information; 98.5 FM to Air Games Locally
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 13, 2017
The 2017 Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16® gets underway Wednesday afternoon at Rupp Arena when Bowling Green squares off against Graves County at 12 p.m. (ET). Fans can follow all the action through live webcasts at KHSAA.tv or listen to the games online at KHSAA.net. All 15 games will also be broadcast through the Kentucky Utilities/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16® Radio Network, with the games airing locally in Lexington on iHeart Media’s “The Bull Icons at 98.5 FM”.
Live video webcasts of all 15 games will be available at KHSAA.tv for subscribers to the NFHS Network (http://www.nfhsnetwork.com/). Subscription plans for the NFHS Network are available for $9.95 a month. A monthly subscription, priced less than the cost of admission to a state championship event, entitles users to every broadcast by the KHSAA and the more than 40 participating state associations.
A free audio-only feed of the […]
Mercer County girls win Sweet Sixteen in style
BY MIKE FIELDS (March 12, 2017)
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS – When Chris Souder took over as Mercer County girls’ basketball coach 18 years ago, he allowed himself to imagine the Titans winning a state title someday.
“It’s always a dream, it’s always a goal,” he said. “But two years ago we talked about it actually being a realistic goal. If everybody would stay the course, buy into the way we wanted to play, we felt this was going to be a special bunch.”
That feeling became a reality Sunday afternoon when Mercer County beat Franklin County 85-71 in the championship game of the St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet Sixteen before 3,963 fans in BB&T Arena.
The Titans’ 85 points were the second most in finals history. M.C. Napier set the record with an 88-56 win over Highlands in the 1994 title game.
Mercer County (31-6) put on a dazzling display of team basketball.
All five Titans’ starters […]
Mercer County vs. Franklin County for girls’ state title
BY MIKE FIELDS (March 11, 2017)
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS — Mercer County will play Franklin County in the championship game of the St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet Sixteen in BB&T Arena Sunday at 2 p.m.
Mercer County (30-6) earned a spot in the finals for the first time by beating Murray 67-60 in Saturday’s semifinals.
Franklin County (33-5) advanced to the title game by beating Holmes 51-36 in Saturday’s nightcap. The Flyers have twice been state runners-up, both times to Butler, in 1980 and last year.
Mercer County Coach Chris Souder said his program has come a long way in recent years. He remembers his Titans getting demolished by Elizabethtown 79-38 in the first round of the Sweet Sixteen in 2015.
They made a better showing last year, making it to the semifinals before losing to Franklin County 55-51.
“It’s just incredible the way this program’s evolved over […]
Mercer County’s Seygan Robins’ long road to basketball success
BY MIKE FIELDS (March 11, 2017)
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS – For high school basketball players, the road to success and scholarships isn’t a direct route.
It’s not a dribble drive straight to the hoop for an easy score.
The destination isn’t always the big stage of the Sweet Sixteen to compete for a big trophy, and glory for your team, school and community.
It’s a long journey with detours and disappointments. Sacrifice and hard work are constant companions.
But there’s lots of fun and friendships along the way, too, and it’s best if your family is along for the ride.
That’s the way it has been for Mercer County junior standout Seygan Robins, who’s playing in the St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Sweet Sixteen this week.
Seygan and her Titan teammates are in the state tournament for the third year in a row, and they’ll play for the state championship Sunday afternoon.
For Seygan, who’s already earned a scholarship […]
Murray coach and her husband on same basketball wavelength
BY MIKE FIELDS (March 10, 2017)
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS – Travis Turner has been doing radio coverage of Murray High School girls’ basketball for a long time, but he had his first near-death experience Friday afternoon as he described the Tigers’ stunning 65-56 upset of defending champion and nationally ranked Butler in the quarterfinals of the St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Sweet Sixteen in BB&T Arena.
“I thought I was going to die when I was on the air,” Turner said. “I’ve never been more emotional during a broadcast in my life.”
That’s because he was watching his wife, Rechelle, coach Murray’s girls to one of the biggest victories in the program’s history.
That’s right. The coach of […]
Donna Murphy’s Sweet 16 starburst
The St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet Sixteen tips off today at NKU’s BB&T Arena. This is the 56th girls’ state tournament, the 43nd since the KHSAA started sponsoring the event again in 1975. While everybody agrees that girls’ basketball has come a long way since then, it should be noted that the ’75 Sweet Sixteen featured one of the state’s all-time greatest players.
BY MIKE FIELDS (March 8, 2017)
Donna Murphy, who must be included in any conversation about the best girls’ high school basketball players in Kentucky history, became a legend despite having to wait to prove herself to a statewide audience.
Murphy’s first two years of high school predated the modern era of the Girls’ Sweet Sixteen, which kept her wondrous athletic skills from being widely appreciated.
In her freshman and sophomore years at Newport, Murphy and her teammates played in the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference, which was made up of schools in the 9th Region. There was a […]
03/07/17 – St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet 16® Broadcast Information
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 7, 2017
The 2017 St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet 16® begins Wednesday afternoon at BB&T Arena in Highland Heights when Sacred Heart takes on Butler at 12 p.m. (ET). Fans can follow all the action through live webcasts at KHSAA.tv or listen to the games online at KHSAA.net.
All 15 games of the Girls’ Sweet 16® will be webcast live at KHSAA.tv for subscribers to the NFHS Network (http://www.nfhsnetwork.com/). Subscription plans for the NFHS Network are available for $9.95 a month. A monthly subscription, priced less than the cost of admission to a state championship event, entitles users to every broadcast by the KHSAA and the more than 40 participating state associations. Viewers who subscribe for the Girls’ Sweet 16® will also be able to watch all 15 games from the boys’ basketball tournament while their subscription is active.
A free audio-only feed of the games will also […]
02/28/17 – Tickets on Sale for Hall of Fame Banquet on March 18
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 28, 2017
The Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame Class of 2017 will be inducted in an afternoon ceremony at the Lexington Center on Saturday, March 18th prior to the semifinals of the 2017 Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16®. The banquet starts with a social hour at 12 p.m., followed by a luncheon at 1 p.m. and the induction ceremony at 2 p.m.
This year’s class consists of Oscar Brohm (Flaget), Michelle Clark-Heard (Atherton), Betty Jo Cook Gibson and Anna Jo Cook Pickens (London), Hillard Howard (Pikeville/Letcher County Central), Marty Moore (Highlands), Marcia Morton (Male), Chris Redman (Male), Jesse Stuart (Glasgow), Claude Sullivan (Winchester), and Charles “Jock” Sutherland (Gallatin County/Harrison County/Madisonville/Lafayette). The initial announcement on the 2017 Hall of Fame Class can be viewed at https://goo.gl/x8FK3C.
Tickets for the 2017 Hall of Fame banquet are available for $60 for individual tickets or $500 for a 10-person table, and can be purchased at […]
Remembering Douglass Demons basketball
BY MIKE FIELDS (Feb. 27, 2017)
Sixty years ago today, Henry Bell, John Burdette, Paul Price and their Douglass High School basketball teammates walked into UK’s Memorial Coliseum and made history.
On Feb. 27, 1957, Coach Charles Livisay’s Demons became the first black school to compete in Lexington’s 43rd District tournament, capping the first season of integration when black schools were allowed to compete as KHSAA members.
Bell recalled being overwhelmed by the Coliseum’s expanse. “It was just so big. I was like, ‘wow!’ Our gym at Douglass was real small; the court was only 35 x 60. A shot from the corner was only a 15-footer. A regular (high school) court was 50 x 84.
“The Coliseum was a college court so it was 10 feet longer than that. After I ran up and down it a couple times, my tongue was hanging out,” Bell said with a laugh.
Burdette remembered the Coliseum’s strange acoustics. “It was like it was soundproof,” he said. “Your […]
02/22/17 – Swimming & Diving Championships Begin Thursday in Louisville
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 22, 2017
The 2017 KHSAA Swimming & Diving State Championships (Feb. 23-25) begin Thursday with the boys’ and girls’ diving preliminaries at the Ralph Wright Natatorium in Louisville. Boys’ diving prelims are set for 12:30-3 p.m. followed by the girls’ diving prelims from 6:30-9 p.m.
Competition resumes Friday morning with the boys’ swimming prelims starting at 10 a.m., followed by the girls’ swimming prelims at 4:30 p.m. Saturday’s championship finals get started at 11 a.m. with the boys’ competition, and conclude with the girls’ championship finals, which are slated to start at 5:15 p.m.
Tickets go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. on Friday for the morning session, and 3:30 p.m. for the afternoon session. On Saturday, ticket sales begin at 9 a.m. for the boys’ finals and 4:15 p.m. for the girls’ championship.
A complete schedule of events, the official championship program, heat sheets and live scoring can […]
Dynasty of dynasties: St. X swimming & diving
BY MIKE FIELDS (Feb. 22, 2017)
LOUISVILLE — St. Xavier’s swimming and diving program is the greatest dynasty in the history of Kentucky high school sports. Its state championship numbers are as overwhelming as a tsunami: 52 team, 146 individual and 75 relay titles.
The Tigers will be going for their 29th team title in a row when the KHSAA Swimming and Diving Championships are held at the University of Louisville’s Ralph Wright Natatorium this weekend. If they win, they will tie the boys’ national record for consecutive state titles shared by Honolulu (Hawaii) Punahou (1958-86) and Jacksonville (Fla.) Bolles (1988-2016).
The Carmel (Ind.) girls set the overall record with their 30th in a row last year.
St. X Coach Todd Larkin said the secret to the Tigers’ sustained dominance is they don’t let past successes adversely affect present pursuits.
“Our students respect the tradition — you can’t really avoid talking about […]
R.I.P., Mike Wainscott, multi-sport coach in Lexington
Mike Wainscott, who coached in Fayette County public schools for 38 years, passed away Feb. 17, 2017. He was 67. Here’s what I wrote about him for the Lexington Herald-Leader upon his retirement in May, 2012.
BY MIKE FIELDS
Mike Wainscott has been a high school coach in Lexington for so long his career has spanned seven U.S. presidents. His longevity might be better appreciated by sports fans if it was noted that Wainscott’s first season on the sidelines came five years before ESPN was launched.
Wainscott started as a football assistant at Tates Creek in 1974. He’s been involved in at least one sport in Fayette County public schools ever since. But Wainscott, who has coached softball at Paul Laurence Dunbar the last 15 seasons, is ready to call it quits.
“I still enjoy the heck out of it, but it’s just time,” said Wainscott, 62. “I could keep going, but something’s telling me […]
02/15/17 – Sweet 16® Online Media Credentialing System
The media credentialing system for the 2017 St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Girls’ and Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet Sixteen® State Basketball Tournaments is now available online, and can be accessed by going to credentials.khsaa.org. The St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Girls’ State Tournament will take place March 8-12 at BB&T Arena in Highland Heights, followed by the Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16® March 15-19 at Rupp Arena in Lexington.
The deadline to apply for credentials is 5 p.m. on the Monday prior to each respective tournament – March 6 for the Girls’ Sweet 16® and March 13 for the Boys.
OWNERSHIP OF RIGHTS
The intellectual property, corporate, broadcasting and media rights to all State championship rounds of the KHSAA postseason championships belong exclusively to the KHSAA, including titling agreements and sponsorships. As such, the KHSAA is the only entity permitted to originate a live broadcast during the Sweet 16® (this includes the use of social media streaming […]
KHSAA/NFHS Network Required Media Rights Fees Minimum Fee Schedule
As of 2023-24
Postseason managers and schools may charge in excess of these fees, but these are the amounts to be remitted through the KHSAA online payments system
02/14/17 – State Wrestling Championships Begin Friday At Alltech Arena
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 14, 2017
The 54th KHSAA State Wrestling Championships will be held this weekend (Feb. 17-18) at Alltech Arena. Gates will open to the public at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, with the first round matches set to begin at 9:30 a.m. Friday’s action will conclude with the third round of the championship bracket (bouts 1-616).
The second session begins Saturday morning with third round consolation bracket matches at 9 a.m., continuing through the sixth round consolation bracket matches (bouts 785-812). Session three is scheduled to begin with the KWCA awards at 3:30 p.m. followed by the consolation bracket finals for third, fifth and seventh place. Upon conclusion of the consolation bracket finals, the competitors in the finals will be introduced and the first championship match will commence. Awards will be presented following each bracket final, with the team trophies awarded after the last championship bout.
Tickets to the 2017 KHSAA State Wrestling […]
Saluting Dominic Black, state’s most decorated wrestler
“It was such an amazing journey. The life lessons I learned from wrestling, I wish everybody could have those experiences. I mean, I filled up two passports traveling the world and having people cheer for me in languages I can’t even speak. That’s a great thing. But that’s sports.” — U.S. Army Major Dominic Black
BY MIKE FIELDS (Feb. 14, 2017)
FORT KNOX — Dominic Black clearly remembers the first wrestling match he won as a new-to-the-mat sophomore at Henry Clay High School more than 30 years ago.
“I was probably just as nervous or scared as my opponent,” he recalled last week. “We go out, get into this tussle, I lock up a cradle and we roll around. I come out on top and pin this guy, and I’m like, ‘That felt great!’ At that point I decided I was going to stay the course and keep wrestling.”
Keep wrestling he did, for another 20 years, and along […]
02/09/17 – Important Reminders-Title IX Reports and Rosters
As the winter sports season draws to a close, and we prepare to open up the 2017 Online Title IX reports for entry, we have discovered that a substantial number of member schools have team related issues that must first be corrected. Specifically, the issue is that a member school will designate that they offer a particular team, but do not have enough players on that team to actually field the team. Please note that new for 2017, the required online Title IX reports will be locked out for entry until a school corrects such team errors.
As a reminder, schools should only have teams loaded into their Primary KHSAA School Database that compete interscholastically against another team at that level. You must play a competitive regular schedule against other schools. Although mistakes do occur on the Varsity level, it is apparent that the vast majority of the issues in the roster system […]
State’s top scorer has game, fame, new name
BY MIKE FIELDS (Feb. 9, 2017)
When you’ve just put up a monster triple-double in a ridiculously high-scoring comeback victory, you have every right to request that people call you by any name you choose.
After Lawrence County basketball star Timmy Dalton poured in a school-record 60 points to go with 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a 106-103 victory at Greenup County Monday night, the 6-foot-3 senior asked the media if they would henceforth refer to him as Tim Dalton.
“’Timmy’ makes me seem like I’m young; ‘Tim’ sounds older,” he said lightheartedly in a telephone interview Wednesday.
You can also call Tim Dalton one of the most prolific scorers in Kentucky boys’ basketball in quite a while.
Dalton has 1,039 points in 27 games this season for a 38.5 average. No boys’ player in the state has scored that much since Chris Harrison of Tollesboro averaged 39.4 points for the 1990-91 season.
(Ervin Stepp […]
02/07/17 – Bowling Championships Begin Thursday, Including KHSAA’s Second Unified/Adaptive Offering
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 7, 2017
The first winter championship gets underway Thursday morning with the 2017 KHSAA State Bowling Championships (Feb. 9-10) at Collins Eastland in Lexington. In addition to the singles and team events, this year’s championship will include the introduction of Unified and Adaptive Bowling, as the KHSAA continues to expand its offerings for greater inclusion. Bowling will be the second KHSAA sport or sport-activity to offer Unified/Adaptive events, joining Track and Field which began offering Unified events in 2015 and Adaptive events in 2011.
Thursday’s action begins with the Unified competition at 8 a.m., which will consist of one qualifying game for seeding followed by baker’s doubles matches throughout a 16-team bracket. The boys’ and girls’ singles competition will get underway at 11:40 a.m. After each singles competitor bowls three games, the field will be trimmed to the top eight individuals. The top eight will then roll two additional games, with […]
‘Corn’ captured best of high school sports
BY MIKE FIELDS (Feb. 3, 2017)
Kentucky high school sports is losing a friend. Photographer Mark Cornelison is leaving the Herald-Leader for a job at the University of Kentucky.
“Corn” worked at the newspaper for more than 20 years, and he brought a sharp eye, imagination and enthusiasm to illustrating the games, players and coaches in high school sports.
He shot countless regular-season and playoff games, and was on the sidelines for dozens of championships. He always did his best to capture the key moments, and he almost always succeeded.
Mark and I made a lot of road trips together. The best times were to shoot the covers for our preseason basketball and football special sections. Our destinations included Boyle County (Coach Chuck Smith and linebacker Lamar Dawson); Leslie County (Tim Couch); Louisville (Brian Brohm); Mason County (Chris Lofton and Darius Miller), and Northern Kentucky (Drew Barker).
Mark’s most memorable cover shot, however, came right here in Lexington in 2000. We met Bryan Station […]
02/02/17 – 2017 Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Sweet 16® Scholarship Applications Now Open
For the fourth year Whitaker Bank, as part of its continuing title sponsorship of the Boys’ Sweet 16®, and the KHSAA will be presenting four one-time $1,500 scholarships. The scholarships are open to high school seniors that participate in KHSAA sanctioned sports and sport-activities.
Deadline for the information to be received by the KHSAA is Feb. 25. There is no limit to the number of applicants from a school.
Winners will be recognized during the 2017 Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ State Basketball Tournament, March 15-19 in Lexington.
Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Sweet 16® Scholarship Application Forms are only available online and may be completed using the link below:
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE APPLICATION AND APPLY FOR THIS SCHOLARSHIP
– KHSAA –
The KHSAA staff routinely publishes blog posts to better communicate with […]
02/01/17 – Pairings Announced For 2017 St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Girls’ and Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet Sixteen®
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 1, 2017
Regional matchups for the 2017 St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Girls’ and the 2017 Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet Sixteen® were revealed Wednesday afternoon when the annual Draw Show was broadcast on The CW Lexington and KHSAA.tv. Hosted by Dave Baker and Gary Ball at the WKYT Studio, the Draw Show determined the matchups for the 100th boys’ Sweet 16® and the 56th girls’ Sweet 16®.
The 2017 St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet 16® will be held March 8-12 at BB&T Arena in Highland Heights. The 2017 Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16® will be played the following week, March 15-19 at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Full-session ticket packages for the Girls’ Sweet 16® are available for $132 for side/lower arena seats at http://www.khsaa.org/payments/tickets/. Tickets to the Boys’ Sweet 16® will go on sale to the general public later this month, with information available at KHSAA.org.
2017 St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet Sixteen® […]
Don Lane, aka Donnie Lane, sharpshooter
BY MIKE FIELDS (Feb. 1, 2017)
For all he’s done for young people, Hall of Fame basketball coach Don Lane will receive the Jim Host Youth Sports Award at the Bluegrass Sports Commission’s annual banquet tonight at the Lexington Convention Center.
Lane led Transylvania to 509 victories in his 26 years as coach. He retired after leading the Pioneers to a No. 1 national ranking in 2001. His son Brian succeeded him as Transy’s coach.
Don Lane has been inducted into the Kentucky Basketball Hall of Fame, the Transylvania Athletic Hall of Fame and the Union College Athletic Hall of Fame.
Don Lane first earned notice as Donnie Lane — a high school hotshot at Versailles.
He had a career-high 38 points as junior in a 63-59 victory over Georgetown on Feb. 2, 1960.
(His accomplishment was noted in the Lexington Herald a couple days later in an article written by a young sports writer named Billy Reed. Yes, the same Billy Reed who […]
Bowling Green’s swagger of success
BY MIKE FIELDS (Jan. 31, 2017)
The Everly Brothers had a top-40 hit in 1967 in which they sang about how “a man in Kentucky sure is lucky to live down in Bowling Green.”
Fifty years later, Kevin Wallace and D.G. Sherrill admit they are lucky men as they oversee powerhouse sports programs at Bowling Green High School.
Wallace, the Purples football coach, has had the winningest program in the state over the last six years. Bowling Green has won five Class 5A championships in that span while winning 84 of 87 games. Starting in 2011, it reeled off 48 victories in a row, and it currently owns a 27-game winning streak.
The Purples also have had two of the last four Mr. Football winners in Nacarius Fant and Jamale Carothers.
Sherrill, the boys’ basketball coach at Bowling Green, has guided the Purples to the Sweet Sixteen five of the past six years. They were state runners-up to Owensboro in 2015, made the final four […]
01/30/17 – Baseball Online Rules Clinic Now Available
The 2017 Online Rules Clinic that is required for all head and assistant coaches and licensed officials in the sport of Baseball is now available.
COACHES DEADLINE
- January 30 – April 10 – the Clinic may be viewed by coaches at no charge during this period.
- April 11 – May 7 – the Clinic may be viewed by coaches for the late fee ($100) during this period.
- May 8 – May 21 – the Clinic may be viewed by coaches for the late fee ($200) during this period. After this time, postseason penalties per Bylaw 27 will apply.
OFFICIALS DEADLINE
- January 30 – April 10 – the Clinic may be viewed by officials at no charge during this period.
- April 11 – May 7 – the Clinic may be viewed by officials for the late fee ($30) during this period.
- May 8 – May 14 – the Clinic may […]
01/27/17 – Winter Sports Championship Credentials
The KHSAA’s online media credentialing system for the Winter Sports Championships (Bowling, Wrestling and Swimming) is now live, and can be accessed by going to credentials.khsaa.org.
Credentials to each KHSAA state championship event are issued by the KHSAA to working members of the media that regularly cover high school athletics. Credentials must be requested prior to the established deadline for each sport through the online credentialing system (credentials.khsaa.org).
Credentials should be requested by the sports editor/director for all members of his/her organization needing to attend an event. Credentials for freelance photographers and stringers must be requested by the sports editor/director at the outlet the freelancer will be representing. No credentials will be issued outside of the online credentialing system. The KHSAA reserves the right to limit the quantity of credentials issued to media outlets when space is at a premium.
Failure to adhere to the KHSAA policies and guidelines, as well as unauthorized […]
Cliff Hagan played for Owensboro one week, UK the next
Sports Illustrated’s Seth Davis wrote a column last week stating the case for high school (and prep school) basketball players getting the jump on their college careers by enrolling in college at midseason. It’s hardly a new idea, as Cliff Hagan will attest.
BY MIKE FIELDS (Jan. 26, 2017)
Cliff Hagan made his debut as a University of Kentucky basketball player on this date 67 years ago. On Jan. 26, 1950, Hagan had 9 points in 19 minutes of action as UK’s freshman team beat Xavier’s freshmen 59-46 in Cincinnati.
What’s remarkable about that bit of trivia is that only five days earlier Hagan played his last high school game. On Jan. 21, 1950, he had 27 points to lead defending state champion Owensboro to a 58-39 victory over Manual in Louisville.
Hagan graduated from Owensboro at mid-term and became one of Adolph Rupp’s most prized recruits.
“I realized all at once it was my last high school game, […]
HF101-Application for Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame
Individuals may be nominated representing four categories. The categories of Athlete, Coach, Official and Contributor are included on the nomination form for expediency in understanding the primary area in which an individual is to be considered for one’s achievements in interscholastic athletics. The grouping is for screening purposes to assist those making the nominations in understanding the type of information required.
01/25/17 – Sweet Sixteen® Draw Show To Air February 1st on CW Lexington, KHSAA.tv
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 25, 2017
Pairings for the 2017 St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet Sixteen® and the 2017 Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet Sixteen® will be revealed on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 1 p.m. (ET) when the annual Sweet 16® Draw Show is televised by The CW Lexington. The Sweet 16® Draw Show will also be streamed live online at KHSAA.tv and WKYT.com.
The 2017 St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet 16® will be held March 8-12 at BB&T Arena on the campus of Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, with the 2017 Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16® taking place March 15-19 at Rupp Arena in Lexington. This year’s Boys’ Sweet 16® will be the 100th boys’ […]
Kyle Moore: Mom had a mean hook shot
BY MIKE FIELDS (Jan. 23, 2017)
Forty-two years ago today — Jan. 23, 1975 — Buckhorn basketball star Peggy Gay had 74 points in a 136-20 victory over Oneida Baptist.
It was a historic performance for Gay – she set a state scoring record for girls that night, and her 74 points still rank No. 2 on the state’s all-time list for girls behind Geri Grigsby’s 81 points – but it was only a small sample of her basketball greatness.
A remarkably skilled 5-foot-9 senior, Gay averaged 34.6 points and 16.0 rebounds that year (the first season the KHSAA reintroduced girls’ basketball), and was voted first-team all-state by the Lexington Herald-Leader. Stanley Caudill, her coach, described Gay as “a real fireball.”
Gay went on to become a standout at Eastern Kentucky University. She was the program’s first 1,000-point scorer, and finished her career with 1,696 points.
One college highlight for Gay came in the season opener of her senior year when […]
Roy Bowling ushered girls’ basketball into modern era
BY MIKE FIELDS (Jan. 18, 2017)
LONDON – The most influential coach in the history of girls’ high school basketball in Kentucky, whose early string of state championships prodded other schools to take the sport seriously, didn’t exactly jump at the chance to help usher the girls’ game into the modern era.
Roy Bowling had coached boys’ basketball at Hazel Green, and boys’ basketball and baseball at London, and he was the baseball coach at Laurel County when superintendent Hayward Gilliam called him into his office one day and asked if he would start up their girls’ basketball program after the KHSAA reintroduced the sport in 1974.
Bowling didn’t have to think about it. “You’re out of your mind!” he told Gilliam.
After all, Bowling’s first love was baseball – he had pitched for Georgetown College (his arsenal included a wicked curveball), and his Laurel County baseball team was on the brink of a run to the […]
01/17/17 – Calloway County High School Senior Wins Centennial Logo Contest
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 17, 2017
Calloway County senior Haley Glynn was chosen as the winner of the Kentucky high school basketball centennial logo contest, as chosen by the Centennial Committee, a collaborative effort between the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches, Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame and the KHSAA. The winning logo will be used for promotional purposes during the yearlong centennial celebration of Kentucky’s original high school championship by the KHSAA, KHSBHF and the KABC, beginning with the 2017 KHSAA/Whitaker Bank Boys’ Sweet 16® and culminating with the 2018 boys’ basketball tournament.
Glynn will receive a cash prize of $250 for her winning design, which was selected from a pool of 81 entries during the two-month submission period. A standout track and field athlete since the eighth […]
01/16/17- Reminder about Religious Uniform Accommodations
Frequently in the NFHS Playing rules, there is a reference to the prohibition on items being worn by participants without documented evidence provided by the state association.
For example, in NFHS Basketball Rule 3-5-4e(b), there is a statement allowing head coverings for religious reasons that reads, “In the event there is documented evidence provided to the state association that a participants may not expose his/her uncovered head, the state association may approve a covering or wrap which is not abrasive, hard or dangerous to any other player, and which is attached in such a way it is highly unlikely it will come off during play.”
In the event that an official encounters this type of head covering and is alerted to such by the head coach of the team (in any sport), officials should allow the wearing of the head cover (or other uniform accommodation) provided it does not appear to be dangerous to any other […]
1/13/2017 – Nominations sought for Midway Female Student-Athlete of the Year – Girls’ Basketball
The KHSAA is excited to open the nomination process for the Midway University/KHSAA Female Student-Athlete of the Year among girls’ basketball participants for 2016-2017.
This award is based on athletic and academic achievement as well as community service and leadership. The link to the application contains additional criteria and a form to nominate one female participant from each 2016-2017 team. Nominations must come from a member school, but may be submitted by an administrator, guidance counselor, or coach. Nominations may only be submitted online at http://khsaa.org/ge79-midway-universitykhsaa-female-student-athlete-of-the-year-nomination-form/
The winner, if present, will be recognized at the 2017 St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA State Basketball Tournament March 8-12 in Highland Heights. In case the winner’s team does not qualify for the state tournament, representatives from Midway University will present the award at the recipient’s high school at a mutually determined later date.
From the winners selected for each championship, one student-athlete will be selected as the 2016-2017 Midway University/KHSAA Female Student-Athlete of […]
01/12/17 – Board of Control Addresses Alignment Issues, Archery Championship
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 12, 2017
During the course of its regularly scheduled meeting at the KHSAA Offices on Thursday, the Board of Control addressed alignment issues and championship details in several sports, while also approving a requested new trial pilot program for the 15th Region Tournament.
Following the consolidation of South Floyd and Allen Central High Schools, changes were needed in the basketball alignment (and subsequently the alignments in baseball, softball and volleyball) for the 15th Region. KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett attended a meeting of the Superintendents in the impacted districts on January 9 to review options related to the region. Facing challenges like an imperfect geographically aligned region and a pattern of reduced sport offerings by some schools in the region, there were few obvious non-impactful options available. With that in mind, the Superintendents expressed an interest in a multi-year pilot program where their teams would play one less […]
Fraley’s coaching career comes full circle at Powell County
BY MIKE FIELDS (Jan. 10, 2017)
STANTON – A large black-and-white photograph hangs in Powell County’s gym, forever preserving the Pirates in all their glory, moments after they won the 14th Region basketball title for the first time in 1974.
Several players have arms raised in triumph, fingers jabbing No. 1 into the air. A few players look sweaty and exhausted, but delighted. The cheerleaders, sitting in front, are all smiles. The championship trophy is at the feet of the young head coach, who is glancing off to the side with a bemused look, as if he can’t quite grasp what his team has just accomplished that night at Breathitt County.
More than four decades later, Dave Fraley, the head coach in the photo, still gets excited when he talks about that 1974 team, led by Steven Kisner and James Goodwin, what the region title meant to the people of Powell County, and what it meant to him as he embarked on […]
Transy’s all Bluegrass-bred basketball roster
BY MIKE FIELDS (Jan. 6, 2017)
When Transylvania men’s basketball coach Brian Lane gathered his team for their first preseason get-together last summer, there was really no need to introduce the new players to the holdovers.
They were already pretty familiar with each because they are all graduates of Kentucky high school hoops.
Two dozen colleges in Kentucky have men’s and women’s basketball programs – from big schools like UK and Louisville, to little ones like Asbury and Brescia — but of those 48 rosters, only one is made up entirely of home-grown players.
That is the Transylvania men’s team. All 16 players were basketball-bred in the Bluegrass State.
“It’s not by design, but we do try to do a good job (recruiting) in Kentucky,” Lane said.
The Transy roster is comprised of players from nine regions, stretching from the 2nd in Western Kentucky to the 15th and 16th in Eastern Kentucky. They come from state-championship certified programs […]
01/05/17 – First Basketball Stat Leaders Report Released
The first weekly statistical leader reports for girls’ and boys’ basketball have been posted at KHSAA.org. Statistics are compiled weekly throughout the season and will be posted to the KHSAA website each week.
Statistical entry is required of all member schools, and those failing to meet the requirement to enter stats are subject to penalties from the Commissioner, including fines and other actions within the constraints of Bylaw 27. Member schools are solely responsible for submitting statistical information. If a school or individual is omitted, or information is not updated, that means the team in question did not update its statistics through the KHSAA’s online system prior to the deadline.
Based upon recommendations from the Basketball Advisory Committee during its most recent meeting, the fine for schools not in compliance will be doubled for the 2016-17 season, as it creates a competitive imbalance for those that do participate. The requirement to enter statistics, which has been in […]
01/05/17 – Middle School Regulation Adoptions
After approval by the Kentucky Board of Education through the regulatory process, please be advised of the new policies affecting middle school athletics, which per 702 KAR 7:065 is competition for students grades 5-8 participating in competition for grades levels 6 through 8. Highlights of the changes are listed below with the complete regulation at https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/702/007/065.pdf.
Dead Period
Beginning in June 2017, the period of June 25 to July 9 (inclusive), shall be a dead period for middle school athletics.
During the dead period:
(a) Students shall not receive coaching or training from school personnel, whether salaried or non-salaried;
(b) School facilities, uniforms, nicknames, transportation, or equipment shall not be used;
(c) School funds shall not be expended in support of interscholastic athletics; and
(d) A postseason wrap-up activity, celebration, or recognition event relating to a spring sports team at a school may be held.
[…]
01/03/17 – ArbiterPay Option for Schools for Payment of Officials
As was shared with those that were attendance at the Annual Meeting, the KHSAA has now finalized a review and approval giving member schools the option to pay licensed officials online (some schools have already started using this service) through ArbiterPay (A Division of Arbiter Sports).
While the assignment of officials has been done through Arbitersports.com in the past, this added resource (ArbiterPay) has been reviewed and approved by the KHSAA Board of Control and has been given positive referral by the Kentucky State Auditor’s office.
ArbiterPay Questions
What is ArbiterPay?
ArbiterPay or “RefPay” is the web based software that pays officials electronically through Electronic Funds Transfer (ETF). ArbiterPay is completely integrated with ArbiterOne so school administration can pay officials with the click of a button once the system is properly configured.
What are the benefits of paying officials through ArbiterPay?
12/23/16 – 2017 Soccer Advanced Camp with Officiate Kentucky Day
Soccer Officials planning for their summer and advanced camp requirement are advised that for the 2017 season, advanced camp credit will only be awarded for those in attendance at the KHSAA’s Officiate Kentucky Day on July 29 in Louisville.
There will not be any other advanced camp offered for 2017. Those that need camp attendance to be eligible for Region/State assignments in 2017 are required to attend Officiate Kentucky Day. For those still wanting to work the Bluegrass State Games, that opportunity will still be available. However, no credit for the advanced camp will given for that participation.
Additional information on Officiate Kentucky Day (July 29, 2017) will be posted online at www.officiatekyday.org as finalized. Information on the National Association of Sports Officials Summit (July 30-August 1, 2017) will be posted online at www.naso.org.
– KHSAA –
The KHSAA staff routinely publishes blog posts to better communicate with its various constituencies and the public. For a list […]
12/21/16 – 2017 Volleyball Advanced Camp with Officiate Kentucky Day
Volleyball Officials planning for their summer and advanced camp requirement are advised that for the 2017 season, advanced camp credit will only be awarded for those in attendance at the KHSAA’s Officiate Kentucky Day on July 29 in Louisville.
There will not be any other advanced camp offered for 2017. Those that need camp attendance to be eligible for Region/State assignments in 2017 are required to attend Officiate Kentucky Day.
Additional information on Officiate Kentucky Day (July 29, 2017) will be posted online at www.officiatekyday.org as finalized. Information on the National Association of Sports Officials Summit (July 30-August 1, 2017) will be posted online at www.naso.org.
– KHSAA –
The KHSAA staff routinely publishes blog posts to better communicate with its various constituencies and the public. For a list of those blogs, go to http://khsaa.org/news-stats-pubs/sports-blogs/
King of the Bluegrass still reigns as top holiday tourney
BY MIKE FIELDS (Dec. 19, 2016)
LOUISVILLE – The King of the Bluegrass has reigned as the best high school holiday basketball tournament in Kentucky — and one of the best in the nation — for 36 years now.
It was the brainchild of then-Fairdale Coach Stan Hardin and assistant Lloyd Gardner, who came up with the idea on the bus ride home after the Bulldogs played in a Christmastime tournament in Ocala, Fla., in 1980.
“My philosophy was, if they could have a tournament like that in Florida, which isn’t a basketball state, we should be able to do it in Louisville,” Hardin recalled.
“We decided right then to put it together,” Gardner said.
They went to the Fairdale administration and got the go-ahead, as long as it didn’t cost the school anything. Hardin went looking for a sponsor, found RC Cola, and the tournament became a reality.
The inaugural King of the Bluegrass Holiday […]
12/12/16- Officiate Kentucky Day Information
OFFICIATE KENTUCKY DAY
Saturday, July 29
Marriott Downtown – Louisville
You are invited to the first-ever, Officiate Kentucky Day!
What is Officiate Kentucky Day?
Officiate Kentucky Day (OKD) is a one-day gathering of sports and sport activity officials from throughout the Commonwealth to celebrate the officiating industry. This event allows the KHSAA to partner with the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) as part of their “state day” program and will showcase nationally known collegiate and professional officials as well as high schools officials to share their knowledge, skills and expertise in officiating.
OKD will be a lead-in to the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO) Summit that will follow July 30-Aug. 1, also at Marriott Downtown in Louisville.
Legendary sports officials and industry leaders including Jerry Markbriet, Billy Kennedy, Steve Shaw, Joe Crawford, Dean Blandino, Bill Carollo, Scott Green, Marcy Weston, Sandra Serafini, Steve Javie, Tom Lopes, […]
12/08/16 – Competitive Cheer Championships This Saturday In Lexington
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 8, 2016
The fifth annual KHSAA State Competitive Cheer Championships will take place this Saturday, Dec. 10 at Alltech Arena in Lexington. The format of the state championship has changed for 2016, with the competition split into two sessions with three divisions performing in each one. Doors will open to the fans at 8 a.m., with the first session (All-Girls Small, Medium and Large Divisions) starting at 9 a.m. The second session (All-Girls Super and the Coed A&B Divisions) is slated for a 2:30 p.m. start time. A detailed order of appearance can be found at http://khsaa.org/cheer/20162017/orderofappearance.pdf
Fans planning to attend Saturday’s event should be advised that the Kentucky Horse Park charges $5 for parking. Tickets to the KHSAA State Competitive Cheer Championships are $10, with children 10-and-under admitted free.
Each session of the KHSAA Competitive Cheer Championships will be webcast live at KHSAA.tv for subscribers to the NFHS Network (http://www.nfhsnetwork.com/). […]
Johnson Central celebrates first football title
BY MIKE FIELDS (Dec. 4, 2016)
BOWLING GREEN — It ain’t over till it’s over, they say, but Johnson Central football coach Jim Matney seemed pretty sure his Golden Eagles were winging their way toward championship glory when he giddily jumped up and down along the sidelines after his team took a 36-0 lead over Franklin-Simpson late in the first half of Sunday’s Russell Athletic/KHSAA Class 4A finals.
That meant there would be a running clock the entire second half on this cold, damp evening, and Johnson Central and its fans wouldn’t have to wait as long to start celebrating the county’s first state football title.
For the fifth straight week of the playoffs, Johnson Central mercy-ruled its opponent into submission. The Eagles wound up pile-driving Franklin-Simpson 48-0 in the finale at WKU’s L.T. Smith Stadium.
“This means everything to our kids,” Matney said. “I’m very thankful, very humbled. This is important to our county and for everybody that ever put […]
Belfry vs. Central has a (championship) ring to it
BY MIKE FIELDS (Dec. 3, 2016)
BOWLING GREEN — When Belfry Coach Philip Haywood and Louisville Central Coach Ty Scroggins met at midfield before Saturday night’s Russell Athletic/KHSAA Class 3A finals, they shook hands, exchanged warm smiles, and neither of them said, “We’ve got to stop meeting like this.”
On the contrary, this is why they and their players pour their hearts and souls into football.
There are more traditional high school rivalries in Kentucky, but none of them can match the championship cachet that comes with Belfry-Central.
“A lot of other rivalries, like St. X-Trinity or Male-Manual, they play every year,” Scroggins said earlier this week. “But the only way we play this rivalry game is if both programs get to the state finals. We get to play for a trophy; we get to play for a ring, and that makes it extra special.”
Over the last 10 years, Belfry vs. Central has almost become a first-weekend-in-December annual event in WKU’s L.T. Smith […]
12/01/16 – 2016 Russell Athletic/KHSAA Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl Broadcast Information
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 1, 2016
The 1A Championship will open the 2016 Russell Athletic/KHSAA Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl on Friday night at 7 p.m. (CT) when Beechwood (13-1) takes on Hazard (12-2) at Houchens Industries/L.T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green. The action resumes Saturday afternoon when Central (9-5) faces Belfry (13-1) in the 3A Championship at 5 p.m., followed by Trinity (Louisville) (14-0) and Lafayette (13-1) in the 6A Championship at 8 p.m.
Sunday’s slate features three contests on the campus of Western Kentucky University, with Christian Academy-Louisville (13-1) taking on Danville (12-2) in the 2A Championship at 12:30 p.m. Franklin-Simpson (14-0) will square off against Johnson Central (13-1) at 3:45 p.m. in the 4A Championship, with Bowling Green (14-0) and Pulaski County (12-2) closing out the weekend with the 5A Championship at 7 p.m.
Each game of the Russell Athletic/KHSAA Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl will be webcast live at KHSAA.tv for subscribers to the NFHS Network (More
11/28/16 – Basketball Part 2 Test Reminder
The NFHS Basketball Part 2 Test is available online from midnight Eastern Time on November 27 through midnight Eastern Time on December 12. The test will automatically close exactly at that time even if tests are in progress. Login at http://officials.khsaa.org/authorize/ to take the test. A minimum score of 80 on the exam is required to be considered for assignment to officiate postseason play.
First-year officials are NOT required to take the exam, however, if any first-year official has completed licensing requirements, the test may be taken.
Any official determined to have been involved in the improper administration of the exam, including taking it for another official or having it taken by another official, will have the score disregarded for the year and be subject to other penalties in compliance with the jurisdiction of the office through the Federal Court Decree.
Please also be mindful that the rules clinic remains free online through midnight Eastern Time January […]
11/26/16 – Revised and Updated Schedule, 2016 Russell Athletic/KHSAA Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl State Football Finals
With Western Kentucky University’s win tonight at Marshall University combined with Southern Mississippi’s upset win over Louisiana Tech on Friday, WKU has qualified to again host the Conference USA championship game in Bowling Green. The game will be played on Saturday morning, December 3rd at 11 a.m. CT. This will necessitate a change in the KHSAA game schedule for the state finals, which will wrap around the Conference USA championship game.
The Class 1A game will be played on December 2nd with a kickoff slated for 7 p.m. CT.
“Conference USA championship rules have large mandatory blocks of time that must be made available at the playing facility, not only for team preparation but for stadium and network television preparation, and this was the only alternative other than playing a game very early on Friday morning,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett. “Last year’s Thursday night game was problematic for both schools with the travel necessary both on Thursday […]
50th anniversary of Dayton High’s football title
BY MIKE FIELDS (Nov. 26, 2016)
It was 50 years ago today — Nov. 26, 1966 — that Dayton High School stunned Russellville 6-2 to win the Class A football title at UK’s Stoll Field.
Dayton hadn’t been to the state finals before, and it hasn’t been there since.
Russellville came into the championship game undefeated (11-0) and a solid favorite to handle the Greendevils (9-3). One big reason: Russellville’s linemen outweighed Dayton’s by an average of more than 30 pounds.
The Panthers’ Henry Noe and Donnie Bagget blocked a Dayton punt out of the end zone midway through the second quarter to give Russellville a 2-0 lead.
Ironically, Coach Ray King’s Greendevils wound up winning the game on the same kind of play.
Early in the fourth quarter Dayton’s Jerry Brooks blocked a Russellville punt — his fifth block of the season — and teammate John Fowee picked up the loose ball and returned it 8 yards for a TD.
It […]
11/18/16 – Important Change in Bylaw 22, Out of State Opponents
At the September annual meeting of the membership. the delegates overwhelmingly approved Proposal 10 which removes the requirements in Bylaw 22 that KHSAA member schools only play out of state teams that are members of that state association or eligible to play members of that state association.
Following review by interpretation and application, this provision shall be implemented immediately. Therefore, as of November 18, 2016, each KHSAA member school may choose, solely at its discretion, whether or not to play against out of state teams (regardless of contest location) who are not members of that state association.
KHSAA member schools continue to only be able to play schools located in Kentucky and eligible to be members of the KHSAA, that are in fact members of the KHSAA.
11/18/16 – Important Change in Interpretation, Bylaw 6, 7 and 8 (student activity while ineligible)
At the September annual meeting of the membership. the delegates overwhelmingly approved Proposal 6 which stipulates that the required period of ineligibility of a student-athlete who has been ruled ineligible per Bylaws 6, 7 and 8 is applicable solely to the varsity level.
Following review, by interpretation and application, this provision shall be implemented immediately in current cases, and efforts will continue to promulgate this change on a permanent basis through the regulatory process. Therefore, as of November 18, 2016, it is the discretion of the member school as to whether or not student-athletes ineligible due to the provisions of Bylaws 6, 7 and 8 are able to be contestants in non-varsity play. This aligns with the discretion afforded local schools to practice student-athletes who may be ineligible due to Bylaw 6, 7 and 8, other than the time periods when due process provisions are being decided.
Therefore, as of November 18, 2016, it is […]
11/18/16- Board of Control Referendum to the Membership – Bylaw 23
At its November meeting, the Board of Control gave final approval to the distribution of a referendum of the membership for the purpose of amending Bylaw 23, Limitation of Seasons. At the September annual meeting of the membership, there was a proposal discussed (that subsequently did not pass) that at its core, required that all participants in an open gym be restricted to enrolled students in the member school feeder pattern or present with permission. That proposal contained a variety of aspects and issues and the discussion led to a lack of clarity among the delegates, and ultimately, the resultant vote.
The overwhelming feedback from the schools both at the meeting and afterward was an approval of closing down the restrictions on open gym as a means of addressing perceived (or real) issues with recruiting (undue influence) and transfers for athletic advantage following participation in such activities. The rationale is straight forward and intended to address concerns many member […]
12/14/16 – 2017 Baseball Advanced Umpires Camp with Officiate Kentucky Day
Baseball Umpires planning their spring and advanced camp requirement are advised that for the 2017 season, advanced camp credit will be awarded for those in attendance at the KHSAA’s Officiate Kentucky Day on July 29 in Louisville.
There will not be any other advanced camp offered for 2017. Those that need camp attendance to be eligible for Region/State assignments in 2017 are required to attend Officiate Kentucky Day or to attend camp in the winter/spring of 2018.
Additional information on Officiate Kentucky Day (July 29, 2017) will be posted online at www.officiatekyday.org as finalized. Information on the National Association of Sports Officials Summit (July 30-August 1, 2017) will be posted online at www.naso.org.
– KHSAA –
The KHSAA staff routinely publishes blog posts to better communicate with its various constituencies and the public. For a list of those blogs, go to http://khsaa.org/news-stats-pubs/sports-blogs/
Dennis Johnson and the good ol’ days of multi-sport athletes
BY MIKE FIELDS (Nov. 17, 2016)
In this day of specialization among high school athletes, who are prodded by their parents and coaches to devote all their time and energy to one sport lest a college scholarship (or possibly a pro contract) eludes them, let us remember Dennis Johnson.
Johnson excelled in football, basketball and track & field at Harrodsburg High School from 1994-98 because, first and foremost, he was an exceptional talent. He had size, strength, a surplus of God-given abilities and a never-quit work ethic. (He also showed lots of promise as a hard-throwing pitcher, but he gave up baseball to concentrate on track & field.)
But just as important, he had a father/coach who believed it was beneficial for kids to play more than one sport.
“Absolutely,” says Alvis Johnson, who coached his sons Dennis and Derrick in football and track & field at Harrodsburg. “At that age, kids should play every sport they can because they really […]
11/16/16 – Board of Control Extends Sponsorship of Field Hockey For Three Years
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 16, 2016
On Wednesday, the Board of Control approved a recommendation from staff to continue the sponsorship of Field Hockey through the 2019 state championship. With Field Hockey just completing its third season as a KHSAA-sponsored sport in October, discussion during the course of the Board’s regularly scheduled meeting at the KHSAA Offices stressed the importance of the field hockey schools and coaches to make progress in expanding the geographic reach of the sport, as that factor will be considered when the sport is re-evaluated in 2019 for further continuation. In addition to its continued sponsorship of Field Hockey, the Board will consider recommendations from staff during its January meeting regarding potential adjustments to the sport’s alignment and state championship format.
The Board also made a determination on Wednesday regarding the future alignment of the yet-to-be-named Fayette County High School, which will open during the 2017-18 academic year. Those placements […]
11/10/16- High School Playoff Games Again Asked to Honor Veterans at Week 2 Games
Through the efforts of a veteran and concerned individual by the name of Robert Williams of Menlo Park, California, there is now a national movement to have every high school and college in the United States honor all veterans and active duty military at events near Veteran’s Day. This is a great way to recognize our veterans and active duty military and hopefully reinforce to all the importance of their sacrifices and the meaning of Veteran’s Day. The KHSAA is grateful to be able to participate again during 2016.
For the second round of the football playoffs at home sites November 11, each home school is asked to request all veterans and active duty military in attendance to stand and be recognized for their contributions.
The KHSAA is certainly proud to be a part of this recognition and hopeful that this simple acknowledgment will convey a powerful message of thanks on the part of the school and […]
Jake Johnson catches, passes John Cole, keeps state receiving record local
BY MIKE FIELDS (Nov. 9, 2016)
Former Somerset football star John Cole was visiting family in his hometown last week when he heard the news that current Pulaski County star Jake Johnson had broken his state record for career receiving yards the previous Friday night.
Was Cole, a Briar Jumper for life, OK with having an arch-rival Maroon eclipse his numbers?
“Yes, 100 percent,” he said. “It’s exciting. It’s great to keep it in the county. I’m happy for Jake.”
Johnson, a 6-foot, 178-pound senior, broke James Quick’s state record for career receptions in Pulaski County’s first game this season. Quick, who played at Trinity from 2009-12, had 280 catches. Johnson has obliterated that mark. He has 369 receptions going into Friday night’s playoff game against Whitley County.
Breaking Cole’s career yardage mark of 4,981 took a little longer, but Johnson did it in the regular-season finale against Bourbon County. He has since upped his total to 5,044.
“Over 5,000 […]
11/08/16 – Applications Being Accepted for Louis Stout Memorial Scholarships
When former Commissioner Louis Stout passed away in 2012, his widow Anna directed that donations on his behalf go to the Louis Stout Memorial Fund for Students. She felt this was a chance for the KHSAA to honor student-athletes who excel in athletics, academics, school service and community service. The award process for 2016-2017 is now underway.
Applications are being accepted for students to apply for those awards through December 5, 2016. The award winners will be announced in conjunction with the boys’ state basketball tournament in March. Two grants, each in the amount of a one-time scholarship of $2,000 payable to an institution of higher learning, will be awarded each year for the next four years. The scholarship is not renewable and is not endowed for expansion. Minimum criteria is a 3.5 (converted to 4.0 scale) grade point average; involvement in varsity sports or sport-activities; involvement in other school activities, a record of community service/involvement […]
11/07/16 – Information On Ordering Tickets to 2016 Russell Athletic/KHSAA State Football Finals
It is again time for us to take orders for advance tickets to the 2016 Russell Athletic/KHSAA State Football Finals. Here are some notes about this year’s finals.
- The games will be played at Feix Field, Houchens Industries – L.T. Smith Stadium at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green;
- The tentative schedule for this year’s event has games scheduled as follows (All times Central):
- Friday, December 2nd – 1A – 1 PM, 4A – 5 PM
- Saturday, December 3rd – 3A – 1 PM, 6A – 5 PM
- Sunday, December 4th – 2A – 1 PM, 5A – 5 PM
- Club level seats (200 level, $90 for all six games) are available and will have access to the indoor area between and during the games, but seating is limited. Ticketing in the club level sells out quickly most years;
- The VIP chairback seats (100 level, $60 for all six games) are available and […]
Jimmie Reed: a football lifer
BY MIKE FIELDS (Nov. 4, 2016)
Jimmie Reed attended a powder-puff football game in Louisville a couple weeks ago.
He wasn’t on the sidelines coaching, or on the field afterward handing out awards. He was there to cheer on one of his granddaughters.
It goes to show how Jimmie Reed’s life is still infused with football. It’s part of his make-up, and has been since he first put on a helmet and pads in the early 1960s as a grade-schooler in Springfield, Ky.
Reed quit playing football 44 years ago, and quit coaching it 22 years ago, but he never quit the game. He’s still active as a fan, administrator and advocate.
“When I played football, I loved the camaraderie and how much it taught me,” Reed, 65, said recently. “Once I got into coaching, I had the opportunity to influence kids and have them enjoy that same kind of camaraderie and that same kind of experience.
[…]11/03/16 – Nine Team State Titles Up For Grabs During Fall Championship Weekend
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 3, 2016
A total of nine teams will earn the title of state champion on Saturday and Sunday as the KHSAA’s Fall Championship weekend wraps up the 2016 soccer, cross country and volleyball seasons. Six state champions will be crowned Saturday morning during the 2016 KHSAA Cross Country State Meet at the Kentucky Horse Park. Championship action continues that evening in Lexington with the finals of the girls’ and boys’ state soccer tournaments at Bryan Station HS with the first game starting at 5 p.m. The 2016 KHSAA State Volleyball Tournament begins Friday morning with first round matches at Valley HS in Louisville and concludes with the championship match at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
KHSAA.tv will produce live webcasts of the championship games of the KHSAA State Soccer Tournament, as well as the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals of the KHSAA State Volleyball Tournament. A highlight package of the 2016 KHSAA Cross Country State […]
10/28/16 – KHSAA State Soccer Tournament Continues Saturday With Quarterfinal Action in Lexington
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 28, 2016
The 2016 KHSAA State Soccer Tournament continues tomorrow morning with quarterfinal action at Paul Laurence Dunbar HS and Lafayette HS in Lexington. Four games will take place at each site, with the first games of the day scheduled for 12 p.m. and the final contest set for 6 p.m. To view the official championship program for the 2016 KHSAA State Soccer Tournament, visit https://goo.gl/fIftNo.
SATURDAY, OCT. 29 – KHSAA SOCCER QUARTERFINALS
at Lafayette HS
12:00 p.m. – BOYS – Louisville Collegiate vs. Covington Catholic
2:00 p.m. – GIRLS – Simon Kenton vs. Lawrence County
4:00 p.m. – GIRLS – Greenwood vs. Owensboro Catholic
6:00 p.m. – BOYS – South Laurel vs. Paul Laurence Dunbar
at Paul Laurence Dunbar HS
12:00 p.m. – GIRLS – Russell vs. Lexington Catholic
2:00 p.m. – BOYS – North Hardin vs. Perry County Central
4:00 p.m. – BOYS – South Warren vs. […]
Justin Thomas latest Kentuckian to cash in on PGA Tour
BY MIKE FIELDS (Oct. 28. 2016)
Justin Thomas won the CIMB Classic in Malaysia last week, successfully defending his title in Kuala Lumpur.
Thomas is showing lots of early promise on the PGA Tour. When the Louisvillian won the CIMB Classic last year he was only 22 — the youngest Kentuckian ever to win on tour. J.B. Holmes was 23 when he won for the first time.
Thomas is the seventh former KHSAA state champ to win on the PGA Tour, following in the footsteps of Gay Brewer, Frank Beard, Bobby Nichols, Russ Cochran, Kenny Perry and Holmes.
Here’s how Kentuckians have fared on the PGA Tour over the years, including how old they were when they won for the first time:
- Kenny Perry (Lone Oak, WKU) was 30 when he got the first of his 14 victories on the PGA Tour. He has $39 million in career earnings, including the Champions Tour.
- Bobby NIchols (St. Xavier, Texas A&M) was 25 […]
Beth Bates got her foot in the door of football history
BY MIKE FIELDS (Oct. 26, 2016)
It’s been more than 30 years since Beth Bates kicked her way into Kentucky high school football’s history books, but she’s still occasionally reminded of her headline-grabbing days at Williamsburg High School.
“People bring it up, so it comes back around every so often,” Bates said recently. “And I have told my kids about it. They know the story.”
As a junior at Williamsburg in 1982, she booted five extra points for the Yellow Jackets to become, as far as anybody could document, the first girl in the state to ever score points in football.
In her senior season, Bates became the first girl to kick a field goal in state history when she connected on a 22-yarder for Williamsburg in a 12-3 loss to Lynn Camp.
Even though she garnered lots of attention in those ground-breaking days, Bates didn’t see herself as a pioneer.
“At the time, it was just […]
10/23/16 – Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame Class of 2017 Inductees Announced
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCTOBER 23, 2016
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame Class of 2017 was announced today in a press conference at the KHSAA Offices. The 11 members in this year’s class will be the 30th inducted into the Dawahares/KHSAA Hall of Fame, and consists of former high school coaches, athletes, officials, administrators, and contributors. The Class of 2017 will be inducted in ceremonies scheduled for Saturday, March 18, 2017, at the Lexington Convention Center. The Class of 2017 will also be recognized during the semifinals of the 2017 Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16®. The induction of the 11-member Class of 2017 will bring the total number of honorees in the Hall of Fame to 456.
Oscar Brohm (Flaget HS) – A three-sport standout at Flaget High School (1962-65), Brohm starred in football, basketball and baseball for the Braves. As a senior in 1965, Brohm was named First Team All-State by the Courier-Journal […]
10/20/16 – Field Hockey State Tournament Begins Saturday; 2017 HOF Press Conference This Sunday
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 20, 2016
The bracket is set for the 2016 KHSAA Field Hockey State Tournament, which begins Saturday afternoon with quarterfinal action at Assumption Green in Louisville. Christian Academy-Louisville (20-4-1) will take on Atherton (19-4-1) at 2 p.m. in the first match of the day, followed by DuPont Manual (18-5-2) against Mercy (8-9-1) at 4 p.m.
Defending state champ Sacred Heart (20-5) will face Presentation (9-13) at 6 p.m., with Assumption (21-3-1) and Kentucky Country Day (9-7) squaring off in the final match of the day at 8 p.m. A complete bracket can be found at http://khsaa.org/fieldhockey/2016/fhbracket.pdf
The semifinals and finals of the state tournament will move to Bellarmine University, with the semifinal games set for 6 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 24. The championship game will be played Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 6 p.m. The semifinals and championship game will be webcast live through the NFHS Network (http://www.nfhsnetwork.com/), with links […]
10/13/16-UK HealthCare Seeks Nominations for Kentucky Comeback Athlete of the Year
UK HealthCare, through its partnership with the KHSAA, seeks nominations for the Kentucky Comeback Athlete of the Year, meeting the following criteria:
- Nominee must have overcome illness or injury that affected their ability to participate in KHSAA sanctioned sports.
- Nominee must have returned to their sport(s) and demonstrated excellence and achievement beyond expectations.
- The student-athlete must consistently demonstrate good sportsmanship and ethical behavior on and off the playing field.
- Nominee must be in verified good academic standing with their school.
- Student must have participated and been a member of an athletic team during the 2015-2016 academic year.
Nominations shall be submitted by December 30, 2016 to the KHSAA through the link at http://khsaa.org/ge36-uk-healthcare-comeback-athlete-of-the-year/.
- Nominees will be automatically forwarded to UK HealthCare and the Sports Medicine Staff for review and selection.
- The selection committee, consisting of athletic trainers from each region across the state, will evaluate each nominee.
- A decision will be made and the winner will be contacted by February 15, 2017.
- The award will be […]
Todd Bretz the constant in Dunbar’s soccer success
BY MIKE FIELDS (Oct. 11, 2016)
Todd Bretz was only 24 when he signed on to coach boys’ soccer at Paul Laurence Dunbar when it opened in 1990.
Jon Akers, Dunbar’s first principal, had to find more than a dozen head coaches to staff the sports programs at the new high school, and he remembers that Bretz was “by far” his youngest and most inexperienced hire.
But Akers saw something in him.
“I could tell right away Todd had a passion for soccer,” Akers recalled recently. “But what I liked about him more than anything, he was going to discipline his players to work hard and be sportsmen.”
Akers’ new coaches also included Mike Meighan (football), Frank Watson (boys’ basketball) and Jud Brown (girls’ basketball). “They were all quality people who loved kids, but they had a tough love to make sure the kids behaved themselves and worked as a team, not as individuals.
“That’s what I saw in Todd, and […]
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