Royals win 47-13, Pawsat injured

The Mason County Royals defeated the Greenup County Musketeers 47-13 tonight to finish up the school's first 10-0 regular season, but junior quarterback Neal Pawsat might have suffered a season-ending injury. Pawsat left the game with 10:15 to play in the first quarter, one play after taking a hit on a run. "Based on what I know at this point, I really don't think he's going to be back," Coach David Buchanan said on the post-game show. Colt Fearis took over at quarterback and rushed for 118 yards and four touchdowns. After Greenup County tied the game 7-7 in the second quarter, Mason County scored 40 unanswered points to lead 47-7. Jordan Gilbert's 87-yard run on a reverse started the scoring streak. Greenup County committed four turnovers in the first half. Mason County tailback Josh Harris rushed for 112 yards. Mason County had 384 rushing yards.The Royals host East Ridge in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs Friday night.

MC 1st Q 5:22 Austin Berry fumble recovery in the end zone (Jordan Gilbert kick) Mc 7, GC 0
GC 2nd Q 8:31 Corey Lyle 7 yard run (Jon Harr kick) MC 7, GC 7
MC 2nd Q 8:07 Jordan Gilbert 83 yard run (run failed) MC 13, GC 7
MC 2nd Q 7:44 Colt Fearis 3 yard run (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 20, GC 7
MC 2nd Q 3:38 Colt Fearis 3 yard run(kick failed) MC 26, GC 7
MC 2nd Q 3:12 Colt Fearis 1 yard run (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 33, GC 7
MC 3rd Q 10:19 Colt Fearis 40 yard run (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 40, GC 7
MC 4th Q 7:34 Akeem Jackson 6 yard run (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 47, GC 7
GC 4th Q 2:55 Wade Reed 1 yard run (kick failed) MC 47, GC 13

Wesley Jones is playing hoops at Central State University

Former Mason County Royal Wesley Jones is playing college basketball at Central State University, an NCAA Division II school in Wilberforce, Ohio. Jones, a junior guard, scored two points and had two rebounds, three assists and one steal in an 89-83 exhibition win over Columbus State Community College Wednesday night. Central State has two more exhibition games before opening the season Nov. 17 at home against Wayne State University.

Royals play at Greenup County tonight

The 9-0 Mason County Royals close out the regular season tonight on the road against the Greenup County Musketeers. Mason County is coming off a 14-0 victory over Fleming County that clinched the Royals' second consecutive district title. Greenup County (3-6) qualified for the Class 4A playoffs as a No. 4 seed with a 38-8 win over East Carter last week. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. Here are some game notes:

• Greenup County senior running back Rashard Carter, a transfer from Ashland, has rushed for 811 yards and eight touchdowns in only six games,
• Greenup County junior running back Corey Lyle has rushed for 673 yards and six touchdowns;
• Mike Copley is in his first season as the head coach at Greenup County;
• Mason County sophomore tailback Josh Harris needs just 23 rushing yards to hit the 1,000-yard mark for the season;
• Mason County junior wide receiver Jordan Gilbert is only nine receiving yards from the 500-yard mark this season;
• Mason County junior quarterback Neal Pawsat needs 73 passing yards to hit the 1,500-yard plateau for the season;
• A win tonight would give Mason County its first 10-0 regular season and set the school record for the longest winning streak;
• Mason County leads the series 7-3. The Royals have won the last four meetings including 23-0 last season.

Jessica Batey returns from injury and scores her first goal-the game winner

Asbury College freshman Jessica Batey returned from an injury Tuesday and scored the game-winning goal in the Eagles' first-ever win over Georgetown College. It was Batey's first collegiate goal. Here is a link to the story on the Asbury website.

Miller scores 14 points in Blue-White

Darius Miller scored 14 points in the Kentucky Wildcats' Blue-White Game tonight at Rupp Arena. Miller scored two points for the Blue team in the first half, then switched to the White team for the second half and scored 12 points on 6-of-11 field goals attempts. The Blue team won the first half 49-27. The score was reset at the half and several players switched teams. The Blue team won the second half 57-46. Kentucky plays its exhibition opener Monday at home against Campbellsville.

Former Royals King and Hamm to play at Thomas More

Former Mason County Royals Ethan King and Ryan Hamm will play basketball at Thomas More College. King and Hamm were teammates on Mason County's 2008 state championship team. Thomas More, under new head coach Jeff Rogers, opens the season Nov. 17 at Bluffton University. The Saints' home opener is Nov. 28 against Transylvania University.

Royals drop another spot in Bluegrasspreps.com rankings

The 9-0 Mason County Royals dropped from third to fourth in the Bluegrasspreps.com Class 3A Football Rankings. Here are the rankings and this week's opponents for the ranked teams:

1. Central vs. 6A Pleasure Ridge Park
2. Belfry vs. 5A Johnson Central
3. Somerset -- OPEN
4. Mason County at Greenup County
5. Breathitt County -- OPEN
6. Union County at 4A Hopkins County Central
7. Sheldon Clark at 1A #10 Pikeville
8. Henry County vs. 1A Gallatin County
9. Russell -- OPEN
10. Western Hills vs. 4A Franklin County

Mason County football weekly awards

Here are the Mason County football team's weekly award winners based on last week's play:

Special Teams
Troy Chenault

Offensive Line
Matt Eads
Alex Newton

Defense
Clay Cartmell

Scout Team
Xavion Johnson

The Big Hit Award is announced at Thursday's practice.

Tobias Jackson is Red Zone Player of the Week

Senior defensive tackle Tobias Jackson is the Red Zone Player of the Week at Mason County High School. According to assistant coach Jonathan Thomas, Jackson was chosen because he had had nine tackles, a fumble recovery and aided the defense in several key fourth down stops in the Royals' 14-0 win over Fleming County.
Every week, one player is selected as the Red Zone Player of the Week at each participating high school. At the end of the season, one player from each school will be nominated to represent their team for possible selection as a national finalist. From these local nominations, the Red Zone Player of the Year Awards Committee will select 50 finalists to be announced in February 2010 to coincide with national letter of intent signing day.
The RedZone Player of the Year program is nationally sponsored by Procter &Gamble Old Spice® Red Zone Deodorant. The program is created and managed by 360 Youth, LLC, an Alloy company.

Mason County girls 2nd, boys 4th in Area 7 Championships

The Mason County girls took second place and the Mason County boys finished seventh in the varsity divisions of the Area 7 Championships Saturday at the Mason County cross country course. Mason County freshmen Julia Woods and Raylee Kirkland finished second and eighth respectively in the girls' 5K race. Mason County senior Jim Myers was fourth in the boys' 5K race. The top seven in each race earn Area 7 First Team honors. Runners in eighth through 14th place are Second Team. Here are links to the results:

Girls Varsity

Boys Varsity

Middle School

Elementary School

Class 3A Region 4 football playoff pairings

Here are the pairings for Class 3A, Region 4 football playoffs:

District 8 No. 4 East Ridge at District 7 No. 1 Mason County
District 7 No. 3 Fleming County at District 8 No. 2 Pike County Central

The winners of those games meet in the second round.

*****************************************************************

District 7 No. 4 Lewis County at District 8 No. 1 Belfrey
District 8 No. 3 Sheldon Clark at District 7 No. 2 Russell

The winners of those two games meet in the second round.

The winners of the second round games meet in the region championship game in the third round of the playoffs.

The Region 4 champion plays the Region 3 champion in the state semifinals. The higher seeded team is the home team each week. If two No. 1 seeds meet in rounds three and four, the team from the odd number district (District 7) will host the region championship game, and the team from the odd number region (Region 3) will host the state semifinal game because this is an odd number year. The winner of the state semifinal game advances to the state championship game in Bowling Green.


(Edited to include that if two No. 1 seeded teams meet in the region championship game,
the odd number district champion will host the game, and to list districts for the teams).

Royals shutout Panthers 14-0, win district title

After a scoreless first half, the Mason County Royals scored on their first two possessions of the second half and beat the Fleming County Panthers 14-0 in the mud tonight at Mason County.
Mason County is the district champion for the second consecutive year. The Royals only had three first downs in the first half. Fleming County had the ball deep in Mason County territory three times in the first half, but the Royals' defense didn't break. One stop was on 4th-and-inches from the Mason County nine-yard line. On the opening drive of the second half, Mason County went 58-yards on 11-plays, capped off by a one-yard run by Josh Harris. On the ensuing drive, Mason County stopped Fleming County on 4th-and-3 from the Royals' 27. The Royals scored their second touchdown on a 23-yard receiver screen pass from Neal Pawsat to Jordan Gilbert. It looked like the play might go for a loss, but Gilbert avoided would-be tacklers, broke to the inside and raced to the endzone. Harris rushed for 100 yards (79 in the second half). Mason County is 9-0 for the first time ever. The Royals close out the regular season at Greenup County next Friday.

MC 3rd Q 7:04 Josh Harris 1 yard run (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 7, FC 0
MC 4th Q 7:43 Jordan Gilbert 23 yard pass from Neal Pawsat (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 14, FC 0

Lofton scores six points in Euroleague debut

Chris Lofton played eight minutes and scored six points in his first game in Euroleague Thursday. Lofton hit 2-of-4 three-point shots for Caja Laboral in a 77-65 loss to Lottomatica Roma.

Royals host Panthers on Senior Night

The Mason County Royals host the Fleming County Panthers tonight in a district game on Senior Night. Mason County is looking to go 9-0 for the first time ever. The Royals are 3-0 in district games and can clinch their second consecutive district title. Fleming County is 5-3 overall and 2-1 in the district. In the latest Class 3A statistics, Mason County is second in passing (174 ypg) and Fleming County is tied for fourth in passing defense (58 ypg). Fleming County is ninth in rushing (223 ypg). Mason County is allowing 236 rushing yards a game. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. The tailgate party is from 5 to 7 p.m. The theme is Oktoberfest and the menu includes pork tenderloin or polish sausage and kraut, scalloped potatoes, brown beans, fried apples, dessert and drink. The cost is $5 per person. Proceeds will be donated to a breast cancer charity. Here are some game notes:

• More from the Class 3A statistics, Mason County is third in scoring (35.8 ppg), second in scoring margin (18.5 ppg) and fourth in scoring defense (17.3 ppg); Fleming County is eighth in scoring (27.8 ppg) and third in rushing defense (121 ypg), Mason County tailback Josh Harris is fifth in scoring (12.3 ppg) and 11th in rushing (110 ypg); Mason County quarterback Neal Pawsat is second in passing (172 ypg) and Mason County wide receiver Jordan Gilbert is fifth in receiving (56 ypg);
• A victory by Mason County would equal the program's longest winning streak. The 2003 team won nine games in a row after losing in week four of the season;
• The series is tied at 16-16. The Royals have won four straight games and seven of the last eight against the Panthers. Mason County has never led in the series record.

Mason Co. golf teams' banquet Wednesday night at Maysville Country Club

Varsity Boys (Leadership award) - Eric White. Varsity Boys (MVP award) - Bradley Litzinger, Varsity Boys (Coaches award) - Tanner Walton

Varsity Girls (MVP award) - Tiara Harris, Varsity Girls (Coaches award) - Lauren Vice, Varsity Girls (Leadership award) - Christen Cropper

JV Boys (MVP award) - Nathan Cracraft

JV Girls (MVP award) - Taylor Douglas and Brianna Littleton

Photo credit: Melissa Vice

Morris finishes 5th, makes All-Tournament Team in Georgia

Centre College junior Chris Morris finished fifth and was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Royal Lakes/Oglethorpe Invite Tuesday in Flowery Branch, Ga. Morris led Centre with a two-day total of 142. The Colonels finished seventh out of 16 teams. The tournament was the final event of the fall season for Centre.

Rebecca Batey KIAC Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week

Asbury College freshman Rebecca Batey has been named Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week for October 12th-October 18th. Batey broke Asbury College records for most assists and points in a game in the Eagles' 9-0 win Berea College last Thursday. Her four assists and two goals gave her eight points in the game. Here is a link to the report on Asbury's website.

Lady Saints shutout by Fillies 1-0

The St. Patrick Lady Saints were shutout by the Harrison County Fillies 1-0 tonight in the 12th Region soccer tournament in Paris. The Lady Saints end the season with a record of 14-5-2.

Mason County girls and boys sweep All Comers meet

The Mason County girls and boys cross country teams swept the 5K races in the Mason County All Comers meet tonight. Mason County freshman Julia Woods won the girls' race and Mason County senior Jim Myers won the boys' race. Mason County will host the Area 7 Championships Saturday. Here is a link to the complete results of the All Comers meet.

Royals slip to third in Bluegrasspreps.com Class 3A Rankings

Despite remaining unbeaten, the Mason County Royals slipped from second to third in the Bluegrasspreps.com Class 3A Rankings. Here are the rankings and this week's opponents for the ranked teams:

Class 3A
1. Central at Shawnee
2. Belfry at East Ridge
3. Mason County vs. Fleming County
4. Somerset at Jackson County
5. Sheldon Clark vs. Pike County Central
6. Breathitt County at Magoffin County
7. Russell at 1A #10 Raceland
8. Union County vs. McLean County
9. Henry County at Spencer County
10. North Oldham at Western Hills

Mason County football weekly awards

Here are the Mason County football team's weekly award winners based on last week's play:

Special Teams
Josh Harris

Defense
Nathan Hardin

Offensive Line
Jonathon McBride

Scout Team
Josh Ginn

The Big Hit Award winner is announced at Thursday's practice.

Saints lose to Colonels in 12th Region Tournament

The St. Patrick Saints lost to the Bourbon County Colonels 3-1 last night in the 12th Region soccer tournament at the Tom Browning Boys and Girls Club. The Saints end the season with a record of 10-6-3.

Neal Pawsat is Mason County's Red Zone Player of the Week

Junior quarterback Neal Pawsat is Mason County's Red Zone Player of the Week. Pawsat completed 11-of-15 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns in the Royals' 26-12 win over the West Carter Comets Friday night.
The Red Zone Player of the Year program is designed to recognize varsity high school football players showing outstanding athletic performance, strong leadership, and the will to win in the Red Zone. These players are selected on their ability to elevate their own game, as well as the game of their teammates. Every week, one player is selected as the Red Zone Player of the Week at each participating high school. At the end of the season, one player from each school will be nominated to represent their team for possible selection as a national finalist. From these local nominations, the Red Zone Player of the Year Awards Committee will select 50 finalists to be announced in February 2010 to coincide with national letter of intent signing day.
This is the ninth year for the program. The Red Zone Player of the Year program is nationally sponsored by Procter & Gamble Old Spice® Red Zone Deodorant. The program is created and managed by 360 Youth, LLC, an Alloy company.

Saints to host 12th Region soccer tournament, girls tourney at Bourbon County

The St. Patrick Saints will host the boys' 12th Region soccer tournament at the Tom Browning Boys and Girls Club. The semifinals are tonight- Montgomery County vs. Grant County at 6 o'clock and St. Patrick vs. Bourbon County at 8 o'clock. The championship game will be played Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The girls' 12th Region soccer tournament will be hosted by Bourbon County at Stonerside Field in Paris. The semifinals will be played Tuesday night- Bourbon County vs. Grant County at 6 o'clock and St. Patrick vs. Harrison County at 8 o'clock. The championship game is scheduled Thursday at 7 p.m.

Lady Royals 4th, Royals 6th at Dragon Invitational

The Mason County girls took fourth place and the Mason County boys finished in sixth place in the Dragon Invitational Saturday at Oldham County. Julia Woods led the Lady Royals with a sixth place finish in a time of 20:53.23. Jim Myers was the top runner for the Royals in sixth place with a time of 18:05.30. Here are links to the results:

Girls Varsity

Boys Varsity

Royals top Comets 26-12 in Olive Hill

The Mason County Royals continued their big play attack to defeat the ball-hogging West Carter Comets 26-12 in a district game tonight in Olive Hill. West Carter used a 14-play, 64-yard drive to take a 6-0 lead. Mason County went up 13-6 only to see the Comets cut the lead to one with a 15-play, 80-yard scoring drive that consumed the first 8:41 of the third quarter. The Royals answered with a 73-yard touchdown run by Josh Harris and added another TD in the fourth quarter. Neal Pawsat completed 11-of-15 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns. Harris had 15 carries for 170 yards and the long touchdown run. Jordan Gilbert had four receptions for 84 yards and two touchdowns. Mason County is 8-0 for just the second time in the history of the program. The Royals are 3-0 in the district. They close out district play this coming week at home against Fleming County.

WC 1st Q 3:32 Cody Stamper 4 yard pass from Harrison Bond (kick failed) WC 6, MC 0
MC 1st Q 2:18 Jordan Gilbert 30 yard pass from Neal Pawsat (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 7, WC 6
MC 2nd Q 1:37 Colt Fearis 14 yard pass from Neal Pawsat (kick failed) MC 13, WC 6
WC 3rd Q 3:19 Cody Stamper 13 yard pass from Harrison Bond (kick blocked) MC 13, WC 12
MC 3rd Q 2:55 Josh Harris 73 yard run (kick failed) MC 19, WC 12
MC 4th Q 2:53 Jordan Gilbert 23 yard pass from Neal Pawsat (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 26, WC 12

(Edited to correct that the second West Carter PAT was blocked)

Ashley Walters to compete in NBHA World Championships

St. Patrick sophomore Ashley Walters will compete in the National Barrel Horse Association World Championships in Augusta, Ga. Oct. 26-31. Walters will compete in this invitation only event of 700 riders from the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Panama, Spain and Switzerland. She recently placed seventh overall in the second division of the Kentucky NBHA State Finals. Here is a link to the National Barrel Horse Association website.

Royals play West Carter in Olive Hill tonight

The Mason County Royals travel to Olive Hill tonight to play the West Carter Comets in a district football game. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. Mason County is 7-0 overall and 2-0 in the district. West Carter is 4-3 overall and 0-2 in district play. Mason County is third in Class 3A in scoring (37.1 ppg) while West Carter is first in scoring defense (13.9 ppg). The Comets' three losses have been by a total of 11 points (13-7 to Fairview, 14-12 to Russell and 28-25 to Fleming County). West Carter needs a win over Mason County or Lewis County to qualify for the playoffs for the fourth straight year. Here are some game notes:

• West Carter has a talented backfield- senior fullback Josh Cundiff has rushed for 582 yards and six touchdowns, junior halfback Danny Cline has rushed for 398 yards and seven touchdowns and junior quarterback Harrison Bond has completed 46-of-94 passes for 752 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions;
• Mason County junior quarterback Neal Pawsat went over the 3,000 passing yards for his career last week. This season, Pawsat has completed 69-of-116 passes for 1,190 yards, 12 touchdowns and four inteceptions;
• Sophomore tailback Josh Harris has rushed for 707 yards and three touchdowns;
• Junior wide receiver Jordan Gilbert has 21 receptions for 364 yards and four touchdowns;
• Mason County leads the series 17-4 and has won the last 10 meetings. West Carter's last win over Mason County was in 1995. The Royals beat the Comets 55-8 in Olive Hill last season. The two teams are meeting in Olive Hill for the second straight season because of the district realignment. Next season's game will be played at Mason County;
• With a victory tonight, the Royals would equal the best start in the 31 year history of the program. The 2001 team opened the season with eight straight wins;
• WFTM will be providing the play-by-play for Grayson radio station WGOH (102.3 on the FM dial).

Saints win district by blanking Grant County 1-0

The St. Patrick Saints shutout the Grant County Braves 1-0 tonight in the championship game of the boys' 23rd District soccer tournament at Pendleton County. The Saints had back-t0-back shutouts in the tournament and advance to the 12th Region Tournament on a three-game winning streak.

Darius Miller meets the press at UK's media day today

(Photo credit: Gary Kidwell)

Lady Saints 23rd District Champions

The St. Patrick Lady Saints defeated the Grant County Braves 6-2 last night in the championship game of the girls' 23rd District soccer tournament at Grant County. It's the Lady Saints' first district title and their 14th victory of the season. St. Patrick has won 12 of its last 15 games. The Lady Saints advance to the 12th Region Tournament.

Darius Miller on the cover of the UK media guide

Lady Saints and Saints earn berths in regional soccer tournaments

The St. Patrick Lady Saints and Saints won semifinal games in the district soccer tournaments last night and earned berths in the regional tournaments. The Lady Saints beat Walton-Verona 4-1 and will play Grant County in the championship game of the girls' 23rd District tournament tonight at 7 o'clock at Grant County. The Saints shutout Walton-Verona 4-0 and will play Grant County in the championship game of the boys' 23rd District tournament Thursday at 7 p.m. at Pendleton County. Cody Burton scored two goals and had an assist. Edward Jimenez had a goal and an assist. Zerubabel Oluweremi scored a goal. Brian Flores and Payne Stanfield each had an assist. Goalkeeper Stephen Mason got the shutout.

Royals football team taking part in Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Mason County football team has several special events planned to promote breast cancer awareness:

• Proceeds from the tailgate party prior to the Oct. 23 game against Fleming County will be donated to a breast cancer charity;
• Proceeds from the sale of pink spirit gear during the month of October will go to a breast cancer charity;
• The Royals will wear the breast cancer decal on their helmets;
• The following players have or will do community service for breast cancer and will wear additional pink on Friday night: Jordan Gilbert, Josh Harris, Neal Pawsat, Brad Lang, and Lee Sutton.

Many of the schools in Kentucky are doing this in particular support of the Paul Rains family and Jeff Reese family. Paul is the head coach at Lexington Christian and his wife, Denise, is fighting breast cancer. Jeff coaches at Owensboro. His sister, Julie, is currently fighting breast cancer. Jeff's dad, Randy Reese, is a former coach at Paris

Mason County football weekly awards

Here are the Mason County football team's weekly award winners based on last week's play:

Special Teams
Akeem Jackson

Defense
Josh Harris

Offensive Line
Matt Eads

Scout Team
Josh Ginn
Brad Lang

The Big Hit Award winner is announced at Thursday's practice.

Lady Royals and Royals lose in district soccer tournaments

The Mason County Lady Royals lost to the Grant County Lady Braves 4-2 in the girls' 23rd District soccer tournament and the Mason County Royals were blanked 1-0 by the Grant County Braves in the boys' 23rd District soccer tournament Monday night. Porsha Greene scored both of the Lady Royals' goals on corner kicks. Ashley Deatley had an assist on both goals. The Lady Royals end the season with a record of 4-9-3. The Royals went 10-6-2.

Lady Saints lose in district volleyball tournament

The St. Patrick Lady Saints lost to the Harrison County Fillies 2-0 in the 38th District volleyball tournament at Bracken County Monday night. Harrison County won both games by the score of 25-7. The Lady Saints end the season with a record of 8-12-2.

Euroleague release about Lofton signing

As we reported Friday, Chris Lofton has taken his game to Spain. Here is a link to the release from Euroleague.
And here is a link to a report on UTsports.com with comments by Tennessee Coach Bruce Pearl.

Harris is Mason County's Red Zone Player of the Week

For the third straight week, Josh Harris is the Red Zone Player of the Week at Mason County.
Harris had 18 carries for 134 yards and three touchdowns and had nine tackles and a fumble recovery in the Royals' 34-21 win over Russell.
Every week, one player is selected as the Red Zone Player of the Week at each participating high school. At the end of the season, one player from each school will be nominated to represent their team for possible selection as a national finalist. The Red Zone Player of the Year program is nationally sponsored by Procter & Gamble Old Spice® Red Zone Deodorant.

Mason County boys and girls 3rd at Boyd Co. Invitational

The Mason County boys and girls cross country teams both finished third in the Boyd County Invitational Saturday. Jim Myers led the Royals with a fourth place finish (17:27.80). Julia Woods had an eighth place finished (20:38.10) to lead the Lady Royals. Here are linsk to the results:


Boys High School

Girls High School

Boys Middle School

Girls Middle School

Boys Elementary

Girls Elementary

Lady Royals miss the cut at state tourney

The Mason County Lady Royals missed the cut at the Leachman Buick-GMC/KHSAA Girls State Golf Tournament today at Bowling Green Country Club. The Lady Royals tied for 13th place with a total of 381. Only the top 11 teams advanced to the final found. Tiara Harris led Mason County with an 88 and missed the cut by one shot.

Royals beat Russell 34-21, now 7-0

The Mason County Royals jumped out to a 28-0 lead in the first half and went on to beat the Russell Red Devils 34-21 in the rain and mud tonight at Mason County. Josh Harris and Jordan Gilbert scored on long runs and Neal Pawsat had a rushing touchdown all in the first quarter. Harris' second TD of the night put the Royals up 28-0 early in the second quarter. Travis Jones scored Russell's first touchdown with 1:17 left in the first half and scored touchdowns on the Red Devils' first two possessions of the second half. The Royals answered with a 73-yard drive capped off by Harris' third touchdown. Harris rushed for 134 yards. Pawsat was 7-of-15 for 102 yards. Jones rushed for 189 yards for Russell. Each team had five fumbles. Mason County lost one. Russell lost three. It's the first time Mason County has defeated Russell in back-to-back games. The Royals beat the Red Devils in Flatwoods last season. The 34 points are the most scored by Mason County against Russell. Mason County is 7-0 overall and 2-0 in district games. The Royals play West Carter in Olive Hill this coming Friday.


MC 1st Q 10:51 Josh Harris 83 yard run (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 7, R 0
MC 1st Q 6:42 Jordan Gilbert 70 yard run (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 14, R 0
MC 1st Q 3:47 Neal Pawsat 4 yard run (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 21, R 0
MC 2nd Q 9:38 Josh Harris 1 yard run (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 28, R 0
R 2nd Q 1:17 Travis Jones 4 yard run (Tanner Locey kick) MC 28, R 7
R 3rd Q 8:14 Travis Jones 4 yard run (Tanner Locey kick) MC 28, R 14
R 3rd Q 2:46 Travis Jones 3 yard run (Tanner Locey kick) MC 28, R 21
R 4th Q 10:34 Josh Harris 2 yard run (kick failed) MC 34, R 21

Chris Lofton to play this season in Spain

Chris Lofton is heading to Spain to play for Caja Laboral, one of four Spanish teams in the Euroleague, the highest level of basketball in Europe. Lofton received a call from his agent Thursday with news of the deal, and Lofton began his trip to Spain early this afternoon. Lofton played for Mersin BSB. in the Turkish Basketball League last season-his first as a professional. He averaged 20.1 points a game (3rd best in the league), and had a 61-point game on April 25. Push play on the Flash-based player below to listen to my interview with Lofton during his layover in Charlotte, NC.


Gabcast! Chris Lofton #0

Leachman Buick-GMC/KHSAA Girls State Golf Tournament postponed

The first round of the Leachman Buick-GMC/KHSAA Girls State Golf Tournament has been postponed. Play will begin Saturday at 7 a.m. with a shotgun start at Bowling Green Country Club. The Mason County Lady Royals qualified for the state tournament by finishing second in the regional tournament.

Royals close out the regular season with a 4-2 win over Peebles

Dylan Whitehead scored two goals and had an assist and Corey Walker had two goals to lead the Mason County Royals to a 4-2 road win over the Peebles Indians Thursday night. Tanner Walton had two assists. Mason County (10-5-2) plays Grant County Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the 23rd District tournament at Pendleton County.

Mason County hosts Russell tonight

The Mason County Royals host the Russell Red Devils tonight in a district showdown. Mason County is 6-0 overall and 1-0 in the district. Russell is 5-2 overall and 2-0 in the district. Russell running back Travis Jones has rushed for 914 yards and nine touchdowns. He is seventh in Class 3A in rushing yards per game (131). Jones returned the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown in last week's 45-25 win over the Fleming County Panthers. Mason County tailback Josh Harris has scored three touchdowns in each of the last two games. He is 12th in rushing yards per game (96). Royals quarterback Neal Pawsat is third in Class 3A in passing with an average of 181 yards per game. Mason County receiver Jordan Gilbert is third in receiving with an average of 55 yards a game. Russell leads the series 13-3. The Royals beat the Red Devils in Flatwoods for the first time last season. The tailgate party begins at 5 p.m. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. Here are some key statistics on the two teams.

Scoring Average
Mason County 37.6
Opponents 17.5

Russell 23.9
Opponents 15.7

First Downs Per Game
Mason County 101
Opponents 110

Russell 87
Opponents 80

Rushing Yards Per Game
Mason County 146.7
Opponents 247

Russell 247.3
Opponents 198.6

Passing Yards Per Game
Mason County 184.3
Opponents 67.3

Russell 31
Opponents 30.7

Turnovers
Mason County 9
Opponents 13

Russell 15
Opponents 17

Penalties/Yards
Mason County 38/319
Opponents 48/365

Russell 31/272
Opponents 26/270

3rd Down Conversions
Mason County 24-of-43 for 55.8%
Opponents 28-of-77 36.4%

Russell 19-of-68 for 27.9%
Opponents 14-of-62 for 22.6%

4th Down Conversions
Mason County 5-of-9 for 55.6%
Opponents 12-of-23 for 52.2%

Russell 7-of-13 for 53.8%
Opponents 4-of-17 for 23.5%

Stephen Howell in action for Centre College

Centre College tight end Stephen Howell after one of his catches in the Colonels' win over Austin College last month. Howell had two receptions for 40 yards and a touchdown in the game. He played fullback in last week's win over Sewanee-the-University of the South. Centre (5-0) travels to Birmingham Southern College Saturday.

Boys 23rd District Soccer Tournament Pairings

Boys 23rd District Soccer Tournament at Pendleton County

First round Monday, Oct. 12 6:30 p.m.
Mason County vs. Grant County

Upper bracket semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 13 6 p.m.
Walton-Verona vs. St. Patrick

Lower bracket semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 13 8 p.m.
Mason County/Grant County winner vs. Pendleton County

Championship game Thursday, Oct. 15 7 p.m.
Upper bracket semfinal winner vs. Lower bracket semifinal winner

Rigg ties for 44th place in boys state golf tournament

St. Patrick junior Russell Rigg tied for 44th place in the Leachman GMC-Buick/KHSAA Boys State Golf Championship at Bowling Green Country Club. Rigg had a 36-hole total of 17-over 161. He shot an 81 in the first round this morning and an 80 in the second round this afternoon.
Lexington Christian junior Hunter Stewart and St. Xavier junior Justin Thomas finished regulation play tied for first place at 2-under 142. Stewart and Thomas will have a playoff Thursday morning. St. Xavier edged Lexington Christian by one shot for the team title.

38th District volleyball tournament pairings set

The pairings are set for the 38th District volleyball tournament at Bracken County. Here is a link to the bracket.

Rigg makes the cut, Mason Co. 18th at boys state golf tourney

Russell Rigg shot a 9-over-par 81 in the first round and made the cut on the number at the Leachman GMC-Buick/KHSAA Boys State Golf Championship at Bowling Green Country Club. Mason County had a team total of 350 and finished in 18th place. The top 12 teams advanced to the second round. Sophomore Bradley Litzinger led the Royals with an 82 and missed the cut by one shot. Here is a link to live scoring of the Rigg's second round.

Mason Co. soccer teams sweep West Union on Senior Night

The Mason County girls and boys soccer teams swept West Union on Senior Night. Dylan Whitehead scored two goals and had an assist to lead the Royals to a 5-2 victory. Sam Griffey,
Corey Walker and Jonathon Reynolds each scored a goal. Kyle Thompson and Jake Morgan each had an assist. The Lady Royals beat the Lady Dragons 3-1. Alyssa Price scored a first half goal with an assist by Porsha Greene. Ashley Deatley and Taylor Houchens each scored a goal in the second half.

Mason County football weekly awards

Here are this week's Mason County football player awards based on last week's play:

Special Teams
Akeem Jackson

Scout Team
Trae Lofton and Robert Collier

Defense
Josh Harris

Offensive Line
Matt Eads

Live scoring available for Leachman Buick-GMC/KHSAA Boys Golf Championship

Golfstat is providing live scoring for the Leachman Buick-GMC/KHSAA Boys State Golf Chmapionship. The first round is under way at Bowling Green Country Club. Here is the link.

Harris is Mason County's Red Zone Player of the Week

Josh Harris is Mason County's Red Zone Player of the Week. Harris rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns, had three receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown, and made 12 tackles in the Royals' 42-14 win over the Lewis County Lions.
The Red Zone Player of the Year program is nationally sponsored by Procter & Gamble Old Spice® Red Zone Deodorant. The program is created andmanaged by 360 Youth, LLC, an Alloy company.

Pairings set for girls 23rd district soccer tournament

The pairings are set for the girls 23rd District soccer tournaments. Here is a link to the tournament bracket.

Morris leads Centre College to win in Old Bridge Invite

Chris Morris shot a 73 to lead the Centre College men's golf team to a victory in the Old Bridge Invite Saturday in Danville. Morris tied for fourth place. Centre had a team score of 295 for a six shot victory over Transylvania University and Brescia University. It's Centre's second win of the season. The Colonels will play an exhibition match against Transylvania Saturday at Danville Country Club.

Lady Saints lose to St. Henry in All "A" State Cup

The St. Patrick Lady Saints were shutout by St. Henry 10-0 Sunday in the semifinals of the All "A" State Cup. It was St. Patrick's second straight lost. The Lady Saints had their five-game winning streak and their 12-game unbeaten streak snapped Saturday with 1-0 loss to the East Carter Lady Raiders. St. Patrick closes out the regular season this evening at Bellevue.

Mason County beats Lewis County 42-14 in district opener

The Mason County defense came up with the first touchdown and the Royals' offense continued its big play attack in a 42-14 win over the Lewis County Lions Friday night. Akeem Jackson blocked a punt and Gus Bauer fell on the football in the end zone midway through the first quarter. Neal Pawsat completed 10-of-19 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns and an interception. Josh Harris ran for 81 yards and two touchdowns and had 87 receiving yards and scored another TD on 47-yard catch. Mason County is 6-0 overall and 1-0 in the district. The Royals host Russell this coming Friday.

MC 1st Q 6:00 Gus Bauer recovered a blocked punt in the end zone (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 7, LC 0
MC 1st Q 3:23 Josh Harris 53 yard run (Akeem Jackson run) MC 15, LC 0
MC 2nd Q 9:47 Jordan Gilbert 17 yard pass from Neal Pawsat (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 22, LC 0
MC 3rd 9:42 Josh Harris 27 yard run (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 29, LC 0
MC 3rd Q 7:24 Tyler Black 21 yard pass from Neal Pawsat (kick failed) MC 35, LC 0
LC 3rd Q 1:31 Cole Cooper 10 yard run (run failed) MC 35, LC 6
MC 3rd Q 1:13 Josh Harris 47 yard pass from Neal Pawsat (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 42, LC 6
LC 4th Q 2:39 Nate Stone 1 yard run (Calen Enix run) MC 42, LC 14

Lady Saints beat Fleming Co. 5-1, unbeaten in last 12 games

The St. Patrick Lady Saints defeated the Fleming County Lady Panthers 5-1 Thursday night in Flemingsburg to run their winning streak to five games and their unbeaten streak to 12 games.
During the unbeaten streak, the Lady Saints have 10 wins and two ties with eight shutouts. Their overall record is 11-2-2. St. Patrick plays East Carter in Grayson Saturday at 3 p.m., and St. Henry Sunday at 3 p.m. in the All "A" State Cup in Frankfort.

Tee times set for state golf tournaments

Day one tee times have set for the Leachman Buick-GMC/KHSAA State Golf Championships next week at Bowling Green Country Club. The boys' tournament will be played Tuesday and Wednesday. The girls' tournament is Friday and Saturday. Practice rounds are scheduled the day before each tournament. Here are the team times for the local golfers:

Boys

8:12 a.m. Connor Osborne

8:21 a.m. Jackson Frame

8:30 a.m. Eric White

8:39 a.m. Tanner Walton

8:48 a.m. Bradley Litzinger

1:00 p.m. Russell Rigg

Girls

7:36 a.m. Bethany Foister

7:45 a.m. Christen Cropper

7:54 a.m. Bridgit Morris

8:03 a.m. Lauren Vice

8:12 a.m. Tiara Harris

(Times are Central Local)

Here is a link to the Leachman Buick-GMC/KHSAA State Golf Championships website

Royals begin district play at Lewis County tonight

The Mason County Royals begin district play tonight against the Lewis County Lions in Vanceburg. Mason County (5-0) is coming off a 30-16 road victory over Harrison County. Lewis County (2-3) lost to Fleming County 33-8 in its district opener last week. The Lions have wins over Bath County and Powell County. Josh Hughes is in his second season as head coach at his alma mater. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. Here are some game notes:

• Mason County leads Class 3A in scoring (38.5 ppg) and scoring margin (19.7 ppg);
• Mason County leads the series with Lewis County 19-6. The Royals have won 14 in a row against the Lions including 69-0 last season. Lewis County's last win over Mason County was in 1988;
• Tyler Black won the Royals' Big Hit Award for last week's game.
  

Royals blank Bath Co., Lady Royals shutout by Bryan Station

The Mason County Royals blanked the Bath County Wildcats 2-0 in Owingsville Wednesday night. Cody Hamm and Dylan Whitehead each scored a goal. Kyle Thompson had an assist.
Goalkeeper Jesse Foister recorded his sixth shutout of the season.
The Mason County Lady Royals were shutout by the Bryan Station Lady Defenders 2-0.

Stephen Howell has TD reception in Centre win

Junior tight end Stephen Howell had a 15-yard touchdown reception in Centre College's 34-27 win over Austin College Saturday. Howell's touchdown gave the Colonels their first lead of the game. Howell is a 2007 graduate of Mason County High School. He had two receptions for 40 yards. Centre (4-0) hosts Sewanee-the-University of the South this Saturday.