Keller Menke has a double-double to lead Lady Royals past Bracken County

Keller Menke scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Mason County Lady Royals to a 63-55 season-opening win over the Bracken County Lady Bears tonight in Brooksville. Katelyn Smith added 16 points. The Lady Royals led most of the game and were up 57-46 early in the fourth quarter. Bracken County reeled off nine straight points to close to within two points, but the Lady Royals scored the last six points of the game. Mason County plays at Calvary Christian Thursday night.

MC (1-0) Smith 16, K. Menke 24, Queen 8, Butler 6, Likins 9
BC (0-1) Haight 13, Sticklen, 9, Burden 11, Meyer, Crawford 12, Roberts 5, Riggs 2,

(Photo of Keller Menke by Whitney Allen)

Royals 12th in Bluegrasspreps.com preseason Top 25

Bluegrasspreps.com Boys Top 20

1. Holmes
2. Scott County
3. Clark County
4. Eastern
5. Shelby Valley
6. Christian County
7. Jeffersontown
8. Tates Creek
9. Lexington Catholic
10. Warren Central
11. Shelby County
12. Mason County
13. Bowling Green
14. Ballard
15. Pleasure Ridge Park
16. Bryan Station
17. Boone County
18. North Hardin
19. Highlands
20. Muhlenberg County

New blog on Mason County Royals basketball

Check out my new blog on the history of Mason County Royals basketball. Here is the link.

High school basketball season begins Monday night

The high school basketball season begins Monday night. The St. Patrick Saints, under first-year coach Andy Arn, travel to Carlisle to play the Nicholas County Bluejackets. The Mason County Lady Royals play the Bracken County Lady Bears in Brooksville. Stephen Butcher begins his second season as the coach of the Lady Royals.
The St. Patrick Lady Saints and the Mason County Royals still have more time to prepare for their season openers. The Lady Saints open the season Friday night at Bourbon County. The Royals' season opener is Dec. 7 at Holy Cross.

Mikah Turner has back-to-back high scoring games

Berea College senior Mikah Turner had back-to-back high scoring games this week. He scored 32 points in a 94-69 win over Warren Wilson Monday night and tossed in 29 points in a 104-97 loss to Union College Friday night. Turner is averaging 22.1 points a game. Berea College (5-3) hosts Centre College Monday night.

Royals scrimmage Ryle Saturday at Ryle

The Mason County Royals play their final preseason scrimmage against the Ryle Raiders at Ryle Saturday at noon. The Royals open the season Dec. 7 at Holy Cross.

Miller scores 13 points in UK's overtime win over Stanford

Darius Miller scored 13 points as the Kentucky Wildcats beat the Stanford Cardinal 73-65 in overtime in the championship game of the Cancun Challenge Wednesday night. Miller tied his season-high with three three-pointers. Kentucky (6-0) plays UNC Asheville Monday night at Freedom Hall in Louisville.

Woods 1st team All State, Myers Honorable Mention

Mason County freshman Julia Woods has been named to the girls' Class 2A Cross Country All State First Team by the Kentucky Track and Cross Country Coaches Association. Woods won her third straight region championship this year. Mason County senior Jim Myers received All State Honorable Mention recognition.

Royals Picture Day

(Boys Varsity photo by Terry Prather)

Lady Royals Picture Day

Harris is Mason County Red Zone Player of the Year

Sophomore tailback/linebacker Josh Harris is the Old Spice®Red Zone Player of the Year at Mason County. Harris now among a select group of players who are eligible to be selected as a national Red ZonePlayer of the Year. Each participating high school across the country is naming one player from their team as their Player of the Year. Each team’s Player of theYear will receive a certificate to acknowledge his accomplishment.
He is also eligible to be named one of 50 national Players of theYear. The top 50 players nationwide will be named Red Zone Players of the Year and will receive a plaque and other awards.
The Red Zone Player of the Year program is nationally sponsored byProcter & Gamble, the makers of Old Spice® Red Zone Deodorant. The program is created and managed by 360 Youth, LLC, an Alloy company.
Harris rushed for 1,319 yards and 19 touchdowns. He had a total of 23 touchdowns and led the team with a 109 tackles.

Miller has 9 and 8 for UK in Cancun

Darius Miller scored nine points and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds as the Kentucky Wildcats beat Cleveland State 73-49 today in the Cancun Challenge.

Mason County boys freshman basketball schedule

Nov. 30 Harrison County Home 6:00
Dec. 3 Bracken County Away 7:00
Dec. 9 Fleming County Home 6:00
Dec. 14 Bourbon County Away 6:00
Dec. 17 Montgomery County Away 6:30
Dec. 30 Covington Catholic Tournament Away 12:00
Jan. 4 Bracken County Home 6:00
Jan. 7 Clark County Away 6:30
Jan. 11 Harrison County Away 6:30
Jan. 13 Pendleton County Away 6:00
Jan. 18 Montgomery County Home 6:00
Jan. 21 Fleming County Away 6:30
Jan. 25 Clark County Home 6:00
Feb. 1 Bourbon County Home 6:00
Feb. 3 Pendleton County Home 6:00

Pawsat Player of the Year, Buchanan Coach of the Year in District 7

Mason County junior quarterback Neal Pawsat has been named the Class 3 A, District 7 Player of the Year, and Mason County Coach David Buchanan and has been named Class 3A, District 7 Coach of the Year by the Kentucky Football Coaches Association. Pawsat completed 83-of-142 passes for 1,427 yards and 16 touchdowns before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the final game of the regular season. Buchanan guided the Royals to their first 10-0 regular season.
Mason County won the district championship for the second straight year and ended the season with an 11-1 record. It's the third straight year Buchanan has been named Class 3A, District 7 Coach of the Year and the sixth time he's received a District Coach of the Year Award.

Lady Royals freshman basketball schedule

Dec. 1 Fleming County Away 6:30
Dec. 4 Harrison County Away 6:00
Dec. 7 Montgomery County Away 6:00
Dec. 9 Campbell County Away 7:30
Dec. 16 Clark County Away 7:00
Dec. 18 Bourbon County Home 6:00
Jan. 5 Bracken County Home 6:00
Jan. 7 Nicholas County Away 6:00
Jan. 12 Montgomery County Home 6:00
Jan. 14 Bourbon County Away 6:00
Jan. 18 Harrison County Home 6:00
Jan. 22 Nicholas County Home 6:00
Jan. 26 Fleming County Home 6:00
Jan. 29 Campbell County Home 6:00
Feb. 4 Bracken County Away 6:00
Feb. 6 Clark County Home 10:30 a.m.

Catching up with the local college athletes

Several local college basketball players were in action Saturday. Here is a recap:

• Darius Miller had five points, three rebounds and three assists in Kentucky's 92-63 win over Rider;
• De'Sarae Chambers had two points, three rebounds and one steal as Dayton upset Purdue 56-53 in the Boilermakers' Travelers Classic at Purdue;
• Chris Owens scored nine points and had three rebounds, two assists and two steals in Transylvania's 68-60 win over Centre;
• Wesley Jones came off the bench and scored 15 points, grabbed five rebounds and had one assist to help Central State University beat Clarion University 79-66 in the Shepherd Invitational;
• Kasey Litzinger tallied three points, two rebounds and one steal as Lindsey Wilson beat Berea 77-60 in the Berea College Classic

Rebecca Batey scores Asbury's only goal in a loss in NAIA tourney

Rebecca Batey (photo) scored the only goal for the Asbury Eagles in a 4-1 loss to Martin Methodist in the first round of the NAIA women's soccer tournament today in Pulaski, Tenn. Batey's goal gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Asbury only had one other shot on goal. Batey ends the season with 16 goals and seven assists. Her twin sister, Jessica, scored three goals and had one assist this season. Asbury (14-7) was making its first appearance in the NAIA National Tournament.

Miller scores 15 points in UK win over Sam Houston State

Darius Miller scored 15 points in the Kentucky Wildcats' 102-92 victory over Sam Houston State last night. Miller made three three-pointers and had three assists, one rebound and one block before fouling out with 2:55 to play. Kentucky (3-0) hosts Rider on Saturday.

UK receiver La'Rod King has connections to Maysville

University of Kentucky freshman wide receiver La'Rod King has connections to Maysville. His mother is the former Valerie Wilburn, a graduate of Maysville High School. King's grandmother, Velma Wilburn, and his aunt, Allison Wilburn Black, both live in Maysville. King played quarterback, wide receiver, tight end and special teams for North Hardin High School. He was the quarterback his senior season. He also played basketball and competed in track and field in high school. King, a true freshman, has nine receptions for 121 yards for Kentucky this season. King's dad, Rodriquez King, played college football.

St. Patrick Media Day

(Photo of the Saints courtesy of Michele Mosler)

Schedule set for 8th Annual Bluegrass Buckeye Charity Classic

The 8th Annual Bluegrass Buckeye Charity Classic will be held Dec. 12 and 13 at The Bank of Kentucky Center at Northern Kentucky University. The Mason County Royals play Dixie Heights on Dec. 13. Here is the schedule;

Dec. 12
7:00 Ryle vs. Pendleton County
8:30 Highlands vs. Oak Hills

Dec. 13
1:00 St. Henry vs. New Miami
2:30 Covington Catholic vs. Franklin County
4:15 Simon Kenton vs. Colerain
5:45 Dixie Heights vs. Mason County
7:15 Celebrity Game
8:00 Scott vs. Lexington Catholic

Tickets will be available at participating schools, The Bank of Kentucky Center box office, Ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000, and at select Kroger outlets.

Miller helps Kentucky rally past Miami

Darius Miller scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds to help the Kentucky Wildcats beat the Miami RedHawks 72-70 last night. Miller scored seven of Kentucky's nine points in a three-minute, 18-second stretch of the second half. Miller also had one assist and one steal in 27 minutes of playing time. Freshman point guard John Wall hit the game-winning basket with five-tenths of a second left in the game. The Wildcats had trailed by 18 points in first half. Kentucky hosts Sam Houston State Thursday night.

Lady Saints basketball schedule

The St. Patrick Lady Saints open the season Dec. 4 at Bourbon County. Their home opener is Dec. 10 vs. Bracken County. The Lady Saints will play in the Villa Madonna Holiday Tournament, the Ashland Kitten Shootout and the All "A" Classic. Here is the schedule:

Dec. 4 Bourbon County Away 6:00/7:30
Dec. 10 Bracken County Home 6:00/7:30
Dec. 12 Ripley Home 6:00/7:30
Dec. 18 Augusta Away 6:00/7:30
Dec. 21 Dixie Heights Home 6:00/7:30
Dec. 22 St. Henry 6:00/7:30
Dec. 28-30 Villa Madonna Holiday Tournament Away TBA
Jan. 2 Ashland Tournament Away TBA
Jan. 7 Deming Away 6:00/7:30
Jan. 9 Clark County Away 6:00/7:30
Jan. 11 Paris in All "A" Classic at Bracken County 6:00
Jan. 27 Holy Cross Home 6:00/7:30
Jan. 29 Holmes Away 6:00/7:30
Jan. 30 Campbell County Home 6:00/7:30
Feb. 2 Pendleton County Home 6:00/7:30
Feb. 4 Lewis County Away 6:00/7:30
Feb. 5 Bath County Home 6:00/7:30
Feb. 10 Harrison County Away 6:00/7:30
Feb. 13 Bishop Brossart Home 6:00/7:30
Feb. 16 Montgomery County Away 6:00/7:30
Feb. 17 Fleming County Away 6:00/7:30
Feb. 19 Rowan County Home 6:00/7:30

Gilbert breaks Mason County's single-season PAT record

Mason County junior placekicker Jordan Gilbert now holds the Royals' single-season record for PATs made. Gilbert kicked two PATs in the Royals' 26-23 loss to Pike County Central Friday night giving him 46 for the season. The old record of 45 was shared by Damian Lang, John Rice II and Jessica Batey.

Lady Royals basketball schedule

The Mason County Lady Royals will play their first two games of the season on the road- Nov. 30 at Bracken County and Dec. 3 at Calvary Christian. The first home game is Dec. 5th vs. Scott. The Lady County will play in the Berea Holiday Classic and the Candy Cane Classic in London. Here is the Lady Royals' schedule:

Nov. 30 Bracken County Away 6:00/7:30
Dec. 3 Calvary Christian Away 6:00/7:30
Dec. 5 Scott Home 6:00/7:30
Dec. 12 Fleming County at The Fieldhouse 12:00/1:30
Dec. 14 Covington Holy Cross Away 6:00/7:30
Dec. 19-22 Berea Holiday Classic in Berea TBA
Dec. 27-30 Candy Cane Classic in London TBA
Jan. 2 Augusta Home 12:00/1:30
Jan. 4 Clark County Home 6:00/7:30
Jan. 8 Campbell County Away 6:00/7:30
Jan. 11 West Carter Away 6:00/7:30
Jan. 15 Madison Central Away TBA
Jan. 16 Harrison County Away 6:00/7:30
Jan. 19 Ashland at The Fieldhouse 6:00/7:30
Jan. 23 North Adams Home 6:00/7:30
Jan. 29 Rowan County at The Fieldhouse 8:00
Feb. 1 Deming Home 6:00/7:30
Feb. 6 Bishop Brossart Home 6:00/7:30
Feb. 8 Bourbon County Away 6:00/7:30
Feb. 11 Boone County Home 6:00/7:30
Feb. 15 Paris Away 6:00/7:30
Feb. 19 Montgomery County at The Fieldhouse 6:00

Lady Royals 8th, Royals 26th in state XC meets

The Mason County girls took eighth place and the Mason County boys finished in 26th place in the Class 2A state cross country meets today at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Freshman Julia Woods led the Lady Royals with a 14th place finish in a time of 20:58.56. Junior Nathan Woods had the Royals' best finish- 71st place- in a time of 18.44.74. Here are links to the complete results:

Girls

Boys

Royals' season ends in 26-23 loss to Pike Co, Central

The Pike County Central Hawks upset the Mason County Royals 26-23 tonight in the second round of the Class 3A football playoffs. The Royals were unable to overcome four turnovers- two in each half. After trailing 14-3 at the half, Mason County rallied to take a 16-14 lead in the third quarter. Josh Harris threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Robert Collier out of the Hog formation and Jordan Gilbert returned a punt 70 yards for a TD. It looked like Mason County was going to get the ball back with the two-point lead early in the fourth quarter when Tyler Black sacked Hawks quarterback Aaron McGuire on a fourth down play. But Mason County was called for defensive holding. On fourth-and-goal from the eight, Cody Meade made a diving catch on a tipped passed in the end zone to put Pike Central up 20-16. The Hawks took a 10 point lead on a three-yard run by Meade with 2:06 left. The Royals didn't quit. Josh Harris scored a touchdown on a 45 yard run with 1:41 to go. But Pike Central fielded the onside kick and ran out the clock. Mason County ends the season with an 11-1 record. Pike Central (7-5) will host Sheldon Clark in the region championship game. Sheldon Clark upset Belfry 20-14.

MC 1st Q 00:26 Jordan Gilbert 35 yard field goal MC 3, PCC 0
PCC 2nd Q 6:49 Cody Meade 3 yard run (kick failed) PCC 6, MC 3
PCC 2nd Q 00:02 Cody Meade 1 yard run (Cody Meade run) PCC 14, MC 3
MC 3rd Q 11:31 Robert Collier 75 yard pass from Josh Harris (Jordan Gilbert kick) PCC 14, MC 10
MC 3rd Q 2:35 Jordan Gilbert 70 yard punt return (kick failed) MC 16, PCC 14
PCC 4th Q 9:44 Cody Meade 8 yard pass from Zach Johnson (pass failed) PCC 20, MC 16
PCC 4h Q 2:06 Cody Meade 3 yard run (kick failed) PCC 26, MC 16
MC 4th Q 1:41 Josh Harris 45 yard run (Jordan Gilbert kick) PCC 26, MC 23

Lady Royals scrimmage Lexington Catholic Saturday

The Mason County Lady Royals will scrimmage the Lexington Catholic Knights Saturday at 9 a.m. in the Paris Lady Hounds Panorama at Paris High School. The junior varsity will scrimmage after the varsity scrimmage.

Mason County headed to state XC meet

The Mason County girls and boys cross country teams will take part in the Class 2A state meets Saturday at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The Lady Royals are the Region 6 champions. The Royals were the runners-up in the region. The girls Class 2A meet begins at 11:30 a.m. followed by the boys Class 2A meet at 12:15 p.m. Admission is $7 for all non-contestants over the age of six. Parking will be in the grass lot next to the indoor arena.

Royals host Pike County Central in 2nd round of playoffs

The Mason County Royals host the Pike County Central Hawks tonight in the second round of the Class 3A football playoffs. It could be a high scoring game. Mason County (11-0) averages 37.2 points a game. Pike Central (6-5) averages 34 points a game. In first round games last week, Mason County routed East Ridge 62-6, while Pike Central outscored Fleming County 74-50 for the first playoff win in school history. The Hawks had 546 yards of total offense last week. This is the first meeting between Mason County and Pike Central. The winner of tonight's game will advance to the Region 4 championship game against the winner of the Sheldon Clark at Belfry game. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. The tailgate party is from 5 to 7 p.m. The menu includes a fishtail sandwich, cole slaw, brown beans, cornbread, dessert and a drink. The cost is $5.

St. Patrick's Green-White games Friday night

St. Patrick's annual Green-White basketball games will be played Friday night at the St. Patrick gymnasium. The festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. with a tailgate party in front of the school. There will be games and food. Then at 7 p.m., the activities move into the gym for the unveiling of the girls and boys teams and cheerleaders followed by the Green-White games.

Keeping up with local college athletes

As the football season winds down and the basketball season cranks up, several local college athletes are excelling. Here are a few updates:

• Jackson Tolle had four tackles (including one for a loss) and a forced fumble in Georgetown's 35-17 loss to Lambuth;
• Chris Marshall scored a touchdown on a 10-yard run to help Ohio Wesleyan beat Hiram 38-6;
• Darius Miller scored 11 points and had four rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block in Kentucky's 117-52 exhibition win over Clarion;
• De'Sarae Chambers had six points, two rebounds and one assist and Dayton beat Indiana (Pa.) 56-49 in an exhibition;
• Mikah Turner is off to a fast start for the Berea Mountaineers. He is averaging 21 points a game through three games and he scored a season-high 23 points in a 108-46 win over Boyce College;
• Kasey Litzinger had three rebounds, two assists and one steal for Lindsey Wilson in a 63-54 victory over Indiana University Southeast;
• Wesley Jones started and had five points, five rebounds, two assists and one steal as Central State University beat the University of Toledo 56-49 in an exhibition game.

Keller Menke signs with St. Catharine College

Mason County senior Keller Menke signed this morning to play basketball at St. Catharine College. St. Catharine Coach Lena Bramblett was Menke's AAU coach last summer.

"You guys have got her for a year, and then we get her for four, and I think the best basketball is ahead of her," Bramblett said. "The biggest thing for me is I've got a good person. In our league, it's very difficult just with us making the transition to NAIA, we've gotta bring in better players, but we've also gotta bring in leaders. And we've gotta bring in people that are going to get the job done for four years. I think that's what we've got with Keller."

Menke was glad to sign early so she can concentrate on her senior season.

"No one needs all the stress that rides from picking your college," Menke said. "It was awesome that she offered me so early."

Menke went from being the fourth leading scorer her sophmore year to the team leader and one of the best players in the region her junior year.

"That's a pretty good climb in a litte less than a year's time," Lady Royals Coach Stephen Butcher said. "Couldn't be happier with the way she's been as a leader, as the way she has showed all of us a little bit about how to play and take care of the basketball and those things, but the best thing about Keller is you're getting a total, total, total person."

Menke averaged 18.8 points and 9.2 rebounds a game last season. She was named First Team All 10th Region. Menke is 11th on the Lady Royals' all-time scoring list with 1,176 points.

Saints' basketball schedule

The St. Patrick Saints open the basketball season Nov. 30 at Nicholas County. The home opener is Dec. 4 vs. Bracken County. The Saints will play in the Ripley Pepsi Holiday Classic and the 10th Region All "A" Classic. Here is the schedule:

Nov. 30 Nicholas County Away 6:00/7:30
Dec. 4 Bracken County Home 6:00/7:30
Dec. 5 Pendleton County at Thomas More College 6:30
Dec. 9 Deming Away 6:00/7:30
Dec. 12 Augusta Away 6:00/7:30
Dec. 15 Rose Hill Academy Home 6:00/7:30
Dec. 18 Silver Grove Home 6:00/7:30
Dec. 28 Fleming County Away 6:00/7:30
Dec. 29-30 Ripley Pepsi Holiday Class 6:00
Jan. 2 Montgomery County Home 6:30/8:00
Jan. 5 Deming Home 6:00/7:30
Jan. 8 Bishop Brossart 6:00/7:30
Jan. 12 Calvary Christian 6:00/7:30
Jan. 21-23 All "A" Classic at Paris TBA
Jan. 26 Pendleton County Away 6/7:30
Jan. 29 Augusta Home 6:00/7:30
Feb. 2 Bracken County 6:00/7:30
Feb. 6 Harrison County 6:00/7:30
Feb. 9 West Union Home 6:00/7:30
Feb. 11 Paris Home 6:00/7:30
Feb. 16 Lewis County Away 6:00/7:30
Feb. 18 Fleming County Home 6:00/7:30
Feb. 19 Bourbon County Away 6:00/7:30

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
Jordan Gilbert

Offensive Line
Matt Eads

Defense
Team Defense

Scout Team
Tyler McFarland

Royals basketball schedule

The Mason County Royals open the basketball season Dec. 7 at Covington Holy Cross. The home opener is Dec. 11 vs. Scott. The Royals will play in the Bluegrass/Buckeye Challenge at the Bank of Kentucky Center, the Citizens First Holiday Classic in Bowling Green, the Ashland Invitational Tournament and the National Hoops Classic in Wellston, Oh. Mason County will host defending state champion Holmes in the Pepsi New Year's Classic Jan. 2 at 8 p.m. Deming and Menifee County will meet in the first game of the classic. The Pepsi Mason County Invitational Tournament has been discontinued. Here is the 2009-10 Mason County schedule:

Dec. 7 Covington Holy Cross Away 6:00/7:30
Dec. 11 Scott Home 6:00/7:30
Dec. 13 Dixie Heights in Bluegrass/Buckeye Challenge at the Bank of Kentucky Center 5:45
Dec. 18 Highlands Away 6:00/7:30
Dec. 20-22 Citizens First Holiday Classic in Bowling Green TBA
Dec. 28-30 Ashland Invitational Tournament TBA
Jan. 2 Holmes in Pepsi New Year's Classic Home 8:00
Jan. 5 Campbell County Home 6:00/7:30
Jan. 8 Dunbar Away TBA
Jan. 9 Ashland Home 6:00/7:30
Jan. 12 Pendleton County Home 6:00/7:30
Jan. 15 Madison Central Away 8:00
Jan. 16 LaSalle in National Hoops Classic in Wellston, Oh. 3:30
Jan. 22 Henry Clay Home 6:00/7:30
Jan. 23 Lafayette Away 6:00/7:30
Jan. 26 Fleming County Away 6:00/7:30
Jan. 29 Rowan County Home 6:00
Feb. 2 Montgomery County Away 6:00/7:30
Feb. 5 Clark County Home 6:00/7:30
Feb. 9 Covington Catholic Home 6:00/7:30
Feb. 12 Harrison County Away 6:00/7:30
Feb. 16 Bishop Brossart Home 6:00/7:30
Feb. 19 Bryan Station Home 6:00/7:30

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

Sophomore tailback/linebacker Josh Harris is Mason County's Red Zone Player of the Week. Harris ran for 114 yards and three touchdowns on three carries and returned an interception 47 yards for a TD in Mason County's 62-6 win over East Ridge Friday night. 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 this unique and inspiring 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.

Ten Mason Co. cross country runners are All Region

Ten Mason County cross country runners were voted to the All Region 6 teams by the coaches in the region:

Girls First Team
Julia Woods
Raylee Kirkland

Girls Second Team
Valerie Rice
Sara Bellingham
Sierra Anderson
Cara Woods

Boys First Team
Jim Myers
Nathan Woods

Boys Second Team
Nick Robinson
Dylan Banks

Woods and Lady Royals win region, Royals 2nd

Mason County freshman Julia Woods won her third straight individual regional title and the Lady Royals won the team title for the second consecutive year today at the Class AA Region 6 cross country meet at Boyd County. The Royals finished second in the boys' regional. Both teams advance to the state meet. It is the Mason County boys' first regional trophy since 1973. Woods won with a time of 20:35.90. Two other Lady Royals- freshman Raylee Kirkland and sophomore Valerie Rice- finished in the top 10. Kirkland was fourth and Rice was sixth.
The Royals were led by three top 10 runners- senior Jim Myers (6th), eighth grader Nick Robinson (7th) and junior Nathan Woods (8th). The state meet will be held next Saturday at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Here are links to the Region 6 results:

Girls

Boys


(Edited to correct that it is Julia Woods' third straight regional title.)

Jessica Batey scores 2 goals, Rebecca Batey named to All Conference Team

Jessica Batey scored two goals to lead the Asbury College Eagles to a 3-1 win over Midway College Friday in a semifinal game of the KIAC Tournament. The Eagles play Brescia in the championship game today at 2 p.m. Rebecca Batey was named to the All Conference Team.
Rebecca has scored 15 goals and has seven assists. The Batey twins are freshmen.

Royals let loose the Hog and roll past East Ridge 62-6

Josh Harris scored four touchdowns in the first half and Malcolm Jones scored a touchdown in each half as the Mason County Royals routed the East Ridge Warriors 62-6 tonight in the first round of the Class 3A football playoffs. Harris ran for three touchdowns and returned an interception for another touchdown. Jones ran for a touchdown out the Hog formation and had a touchdown reception. Harris' first TD was out of the Hog formation. (Mason County calls the Wildcat formation the Hog). Brad Lang, normally a receiver, scored a touchdown from the tailback position. It was 35-0 at the end of the first half. After Mason County went up 49-0 in the third quarter, the rest of the game was played with a running clock. East Ridge scored on a kickoff return as time expired. East Ridge quarterback Bryan Casey suffered an injury in the closing minute of the first half and missed the rest of the game. Colt Fearis, making his first start at quarterback for Mason County, completed 6-of-8 passes for 122 yards and one touchdown with an interception. Mason County (11-0) will host Pike County Central in the second round. Pike County Central defeated Fleming County 74-50.

MC 1st Q 5:01 Josh Harris 51 yard run (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 7, ER 0
MC 1st Q 00:06 Josh Harris 61 yard run (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 14, ER 0
MC 2nd Q 10:10 Malcolm Jones 71 yard run (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 21, ER 0
MC 2nd Q 8:25 Josh Harris 2 yard run (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 28, ER 0
MC 2nd Q 2:33 Josh Harris 47 interception return (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 35, ER 0
MC 3rd Q 10:03 Brad Lang 7 yard run (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 42, ER 0
MC 3rd Q 7:02 Malcolm Jones 56 yard pass from Colt Fearis (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 49, ER 0
MC 3rd Q 1:53 Akeem Jackson 5 yard run (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 56, ER 0
MC 4th Q Tyler McFarland 48 yard run (run failed) MC 62, ER 0
ER 4th Q 00:00 Dalton Lewis 86 yard kickoff return MC 62, ER 0

(Edited to correct Pike County Central-Fleming County score)

Chris Morris ends the season ranked No.1 in the region

Centre College junior Chris Morris of Maysville finished the fall golf season ranked No. 1 in the South Region by Golfstat. Here is a link to the story on Centre's website.

Royals host East Ridge in playoff opener tonight

The Mason County Royals host the East Ridge Warriors tonight in the opening round of the Class 3A football playoffs. Mason County is 10-0. East Ridge, a Pike County school, is 3-7 overall and went o-4 in district games, but qualified for the playoffs for the first time in its eight-year history because there are only four teams in District 8. The Warriors have been outscored by their opponents 439-178 and have been shutout three times. Senior Colt Fearis will make his first start at quarterback for Mason County. Fearis rushed for 118 yards and four touchdowns after Neal Pawsat suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter of last week's win over Greenup County. Fearis has completed 3-0f-3 passes this season. The winner of tonight's game will play the winner of the Fleming County at Pike County Central game.

Class AA Region 6 cross country meet Saturday

The Mason County girls and boys cross country teams will compete in the Class AA Region 6 meet Saturday at Boyd County. The Lady Royals are favored to win their second straight region title. The Royals are picked to finish second in the region. That would be good enough to qualify for the state.

Royals No. 3 in final Bluegrasspreps.com Class 3A Football Rankings

The final Bluegrasspreps.com football rankings were released this morning. Mason County moved up one spot to No. 3 in the Class 3A rankings. Here are the rankings and this week's opponents for the ranked teams:

Class 3A
1. Central vs. Spencer County
2. Somerset vs. Magoffin County
3. Mason County vs. East Ridge
4. Belfry vs. Lewis County
5. Sheldon Clark at #10 Russell
6. Breathitt County vs. Wayne County
7. Union County vs. Adair County
8. Henry County vs. Moore
9. Western Hills vs. Shawnee
10. Russell vs. #5 Sheldon Clark

Mason County football weekly awards

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

Special Teams
Malcolm Jones

Offensive Line
Lee Sutton

Defense
Tyler Black

Scout Team
Dustin Chenault
Tyler MCfarland

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

Chirs O'Hearn speaks to the Maysville Rotary Club

Mason County boys' basketball coach Chris O'Hearn was the guest speaker at the Maysville Rotary Club meeting today. Push play on the Flash-based player below to listen to some highlights of his talk.

Gabcast! Chris O'Hearn at Rotary Club #0

Buchanan does not expect Pawsat to return this season

Mason County football coach David Buchanan says he doesn't expect junior quarterback Neal Pawsat to return to action this season. Pawsat suffered a knee injury in the opening minutes of the Royals' 47-13 win over Greenup County Friday. Buchanan says Pawsat had an M.R.I. today, but the results were not available early this evening. Buchanan made the comments on the McDonald's High School Football Show on WFTM.
"I don't expect him to be back this year," Buchanan said. "I know that Neal and his family appreciate the prayers, and I know a lot of folks are interested, and I appreciate that concern, I know the Pawsats do too."
Buchanan made it clear, Pawsat will not be rushed back into action.
"I don't want Neal to feel like there is pressure on him to play until he would feel like he was ready to play," Buchanan said.
He added, "When we know for sure the timeline, I'd said we'll talk about that."
Buchanan said he is glad that he thinks at some point, Pawsat will be back at 100 percent,
"based on what I know now, I don't think that's going to be this year."
Back-up quarterback Colt Fearis scored four touchdowns for the Royals Friday night. Mason County hosts East Ridge this Friday night in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs.

Link to Class 3A football playoff bracket

Here is a link to the KHSAA Class 3A football playoff bracket.

Colt Fearis is Mason County' Red Zone Player of the Week

Colt Fearis is the Mason County Royals' Red Zone Player of the Week. Fearis stepped in at quarterback after Neal Pawsat left the game with an injury. Fearis rushed 17 times for 118 yards and four touchdowns in Mason County's 47-13 win over Greenup 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 Playerof the Year Awards Committee will select 50 finalists to be announced in February 2010 to coincide with national letter of intent signing day.
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.

Myers and Rice have Top 10 finishes in Meet of Champions

Mason County senior Jim Myers finished 8th in the boys' Class AA race (17:53.71) and Mason County sophomore Valerie Rice took 10th place (22:07.92) in the girls' Class AA race at the KTCCCA Meet of Champions at Masterson Station Park in Lexington.