Reeves Induction Long Overdue

Kenny Reeves has finally been inducted into the 10th Region Boys Basketball Hall of Fame, 31 years after he played for the Maysville Bulldogs. The Hall of Fame was started back in the late 1970s and Reeves was one the players from years ago who had been forgotten about. A few years ago, the coaches formed a veterans committee to look back at players from yesteryear who were worthy of induction.
Reeves certainly qualifed for the Hall of Fame despite playing just a year and a half at Maysville. He averaged 10 points a game as a junior and 14.3 points a game as senior, and the Bulldogs won the 10th Region championship both years (1945 and 1946).
During his induction speech Monday night, Reeves said he lived in Aberdeen and transferred to Maysville High School as a junior.
"I have memories of Maysville High and 10th Region basketball, coach [Earle D.] Jones in particular and what a great coach he was," Reeves said. "And what fundamentals he taught."
Reeves said he learned a lot of basketball from Jones.
"Sometimes I tell people I had to forget things to play in college because (Jones) was such a fundamentalist, [and] college ball got be a little bit more one-on-one and all that kind of stuff."
Reeves had an even more successful college career playing for the Louisville Cardinals.
He scored 1,245 points in his four years at Louisville. He was a starting guard on the Cardinals'
1948 NAIB championship team-Louisville's first national title. Reeves is a member of the University of Louisville Hall of Fame and his jersey was retired. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics in the fourth round of the 1950 NBA draft. But instead of playing pro ball, Reeves became a dentist.
And better late than never, Reeves is a member of the Boys Basketball 10th Region Hall of Fame.

Baseball Tournaments

The St. Patrick Saints host the Silver Grove Big Trains in the first round of the All "A" 10th Region baseball tournament today at 5 p.m. at the Tom Browning Boys and Girls Club.
The Mason County Royals baseball team is playing in the Rowan County Tournament this weekend. The Royals play Pendleton County tonight at 7:30 and Rowan County tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock.

White Team Over Blue Team 8-0 in Spring Game

The White team defeated the Blue 8-0 in Mason County's annual spring football game this afternoon.
Josh Huron scored a touchdown on a two-yard run late in the first quarter. Colt Fearis, who was the quarterback for both teams, ran for the two-point conversion. Starting quarterback Richie Cox has been splitting his time playing both baseball and football this spring.
The game wrapped up two weeks of spring practice.
"We know our execution [in today's game] is going to stink," coach David Buchanan said after the game. "Used to, we would take a practice and prepare. We didn't even do that this time, (the assistant coaches) threw it together. What I'm pleased with is I think we could have several good football players, but we're not a football team yet, and that's what we're going to work on from this point forward."
Summer practice begins July 10. The Royals will have passing scrimmages against Highlands July 10 and 12.
The season opener is August 25 against the Paris Greyhounds in St. Joseph's Bluegrass Bowl at Lexington Catholic.

Mason County Middle School Soccer

The Mason County Middle School girls' and boys' soccer teams open the season Friday.
Here is the schedule:

Mar. 30 East Carter Home 5:30 p.m.
Mar. 31 West Carter Home 11 a.m.
Apr. 3 Fleming County Away 5 p.m.
Apr. 17 East Carter Away 5:30 p.m.
Apr. 26 Fleming County Home 5 p.m.
Apr. 28 Rowan County Home 10 a.m.
May 3 Rowan County Away 5 p.m.
May 8 Boyd County Away 5:30 p.m.
May 12 Boyd County Home 11 a.m.

Little Royals Football Camp

The Little Royals Football Camp will be held Saturday at the Tom Browning Boys and Girls Club. Kindergarten through second grade from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Grades three through five from
11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. All campers will receive a free football while supplies last.

10th Region Boys Basketball Awards

The 10th Region Boys Basketball Awards Banquet was held tonight at Mason High School.
Here are the award winners:

All Region Team
Troy Cooper, Bishop Brossart
Jesse Hall, Bracken County
Tristan Jones, Clark County
Jim Mullins, Harrison County
Darius Miller, Mason County
Chase Dumphord, Paris
Chris Owens, St. Patrick
Corey Pelle, Silver Grove
Jimmy Uebel, Bishop Brossart
Preston Knowles, Clark County
Travis Massey, Deming
Russ Middleton, Mason County
Brad Utterback, Montgomery County
Kane Belcher, Pendleton County
Nate Sharp, Scott High

Honorable Mention All Region Team
Josh White, Augusta
Jeremy Hardymon, Augusta
Tyler Hamilton, Bracken County
Jon Verst, Campbell County
Joe Flannigan, Calvary Christian
Jordan Stephens, Montgomery County
Chris Quigley, Scott High
Teddy Wiseman, Silver Grove
Matt Groves, Augusta
Dustin Staggs, Augusta
Matt Wigglesworth, Bourbon County
Jordan Parks, Campbell County
Tyreese Scott, Mason County
Clifton Willoughby, Nicholas County
Danny Miller, Scott High

Coach of the Year
Scott Humphrey

Class 'A' Coach of the Year

Mike Code, Bishop Brossart

Hall of Fame Inductees

Players
Kenny Reeves, Maysville
John Price, Fleming County
Wes Burtner, Clark County
Chez Marks, Paris
Chris Mullins, Montgomery County
Myrin Roberts, Paris
Ron Whitson, Harrison County*

Coach
David Randolph, Paris

Contributors
Bill Bishop, radio play-by-play announcer for Harrison County*
Terry DeCapio, athletic trainer at Clark County
Doris McFarland, scorekeeper and team bus driver for Paris

*inducted posthumously

Rosters Set For Royals' Blue-White Spring Game

The rosters are set for the Mason County football team's Blue-White Spring Game scheduled Thursday at 4 p.m. Mason County boys basketball coach Chris O'Hearn and former Mason County assistant coach Henry Boone are the honorary coaches. Here are the rosters:

Blue Team
Seth Lightner
Chris Temple
T.K. Jackson
Cameron Pollitt
Akeem Jackson
Jackson Tolle
Emmanuel Jolly
Shalamar Stevens
Ryan Owens
Levi Watson
Zach Watson
Shane Bieber
John Gantley
Patrick Kabler
Robert Collier
Daniel Reed
Westin Stahl
Malcolm Jones
Blaine Askins
Wylie Brace
Jessie Batey

Head Coach: Chris O'Hearn
STAFF:
Mike Stanley
Larry Harris
Chris Neal
Chad Zeigler
Richie Cox

White Team
Ricky Huron
Joshua Turner
Nathan Hardin
Josh Huron
Jeremy Thompson
Brandon Bone
Sam O'Mara
Ben Shoemaker
Adam Cooper
Kirk Sweeney
Ryan Foley
Roger Pence
Caleb Williams
Scott Brooks
Terrance Breckenridge
Bradley Lang
Jacob Turner
Ray Huron
Rebecca Batey

Head Coach: Henry Boone
STAFF:
Chris Ullery
Seth Faulkner
Sean Jackson
Kirby Bennett
Bill Shower

Royals Football Team Holds Final Practice

The Mason County Royals football team held its final spring practice Monday.
"We started with fundamental work offensively, and then went into inside drill versus both a50 and a 40," coach David Buchanan said in an e-mail message. "We then did our (kickoff) coverage and return drill to work on blocking and tackling in space."
"After defensive fundamentals, we have team defense period where we actually go 12 on 12. It is a great way to get an extra 2 guys some fundamental work. We finished with team offense. The last play of the day was a fake reverse pass from Jeremy Thompson to DanielReed for a TD. Spring is a great time to draw plays in the dirt at the end of practice and have a little fun with it."
The Blue-White Spring Game is Thursday at 4 p.m. at the practice field.

Girls 10th Region Banquet

The Girls 10th Region Basketball banquet was held Sunday at the Maysville
Conference Center. Here are the All-Region Teams:

First Team
De' Sarae Chambers, Mason County
Courtney Danis, Montgomery County
Lacey Cline, Mason County
LaDonna Turley, Harrison County
Molly Norton, Bourbon County

Second Team
Maggie Prewitt, Montgomery County
Erin Carmack, Deming
Natalie Kelsch, Pendleton County
Hiliary Butsch, Bishop Brossart
Emily Hinkson, Paris

Third Team
Cheryl Rutherford, St. Patrick
Jewel Rogers, Clark County
Nakita Jones, Paris
Kaithlin Steffen, Bishop Brossart
Austina McCaffery, Clark County

Honorable Mention
Jenna High, Montgomery County
Kate Kitchen, Campbell County
Kasey Litzinger, Mason County
Ivy Livengood, Bourbon County

Coach of the Year (tie)
John High, Montgomery County
Terence Brooks, Paris

Hall of Fame
Players
Katie Schwegman,Bishop Brossart
Harmonie King, Montgomery County
Laverne Bluford, Mason County
Christie Hatton, Nicholas County
Teresa Mitchell Becker, Deming
Marla Kelsch, Augusta

Contributor
Ivan Ralls, Mt. Sterling radio announcer

Mason County Falls to Clark County in Tennis Opener

Clark County defeated Mason County in the opening matches of the tennis season Monday at the Winchester Country Club. The Mason County girls team lost 9 matches to 0. The Mason County boys team lost 6 matches to 3.
Braun Applegate and Jackson Gossard won in singles. Applegate and Travis Scaggs won in doubles.

Mason County Spring Football Game Thursday

The Mason County football team will play its Blue-White Spring Game Thursday at 4 p.m. at the practice field. Admission is free. Game video, highlight videos and the old blue game jerseys will be on sale to support the football team.

High School Baseball and Fast Pitch Softball Seasons Open Today

The high school baseball and fast-pitch softball seasons begin today. In baseball, the St. Patrick Saints host the Deming Black Devils at the Tom Browning Boys and Girls Club at 5 p.m. The Mason County Royals host the Lewis County Lions at 5 p.m.
In fast-pitch softball, the St. Patrick Lady Saints host the Mason County Lady Royals at the Maysville-Mason County Recreation Park at 5 p.m.

Mason County Tennis Schedule

The Mason County boys and girls tennis teams open the season today. Here is the schedule:

Mar. 26 Clark County Away
Mar. 28 Bourbon County Away
Mar. 29 Montgomery County Away
Apr. 3 St. Patrick Home
Apr. 5 Bracken County Home
Apr. 16 Deming (girls only) Away
Apr. 17 Campbell County Home
Apr. 19 Paris Away
Apr. 23 Harrison County Away
Apr. 24 St. Patrick Home
Apr. 26 Pendleton County Home
May 1 Harrison County Home
May 2 Pendleton County Home
May 3 Bourbon County Home
May 7 Campbell County Away
May 8 Deming Home
May 9 St. Patrick Away
May 11-18 Regional Tournament Away

Georgetown G-Men Ohio Division IV State Champs

The Georgetown G-Men completed an undefeated season with a 75-66 win over Canal Winchester Harvest Prep in the Ohio Boys' Division IV Championship game Saturday at Value City Arena in Columbus. Georgetown had a 13 point lead midway through the second period but Harvest Prep rallied to take a 40-38 lead early in the third quarter. Cory Kidwell hit back-to-back baskets to put the G-Men back in the lead at 42-40. Georgetown led the rest of the game and completed the season with a 28-0 record.
Four Georgetown players scored in double figures, Jay Chadwell scored 26 points, Isaiah Felder had a double-double- 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Cory Kidwell and Jess Chadwell scored 11 points apiece. It's Georgetown's first state championship.

Here's a link to the box score.

Scott County Wins State Title

Tournament MVP Bud Mackey scored 22 points to lead the Scott County Cardinals to a 56-50 win over the Ballard Bruins in the championship game of the 90th National City/KHSAA Boys' Sweet 16 last night at Rupp Arena. After trailing by seven early in the fourth quarter, Scott County ended the game on a 16-3 run, scoring the final 10 points. Mackey, a 6-4 junior guard who has verbally committed to Indiana University, scored nine straight points for the Cardinalsi in the fourth quarter. It's Scott County's second state championship. The Cardinals won their first title in 1998.

• Scott County was 20-0 against Kentucky teams this season.
• Scott County junior Cameron Hundley tied a state tournament record by hitting 13 consecutive free throws in the Cardinals' semifinal win over Holmes. He tied the mark set by Johnny Cox of Hazard and Kelly Middleton of Mason County.
• Mason County coach Chris O'Hearn says the Royals are going to have an "outstanding schedule" next season. He couldn't list the games because some contracts still have to be signed. He said the home schedule is also outstanding.

State Tournament Quarterfinals

The quarterfinals of the National City/KHSAA Boy Sweet 16 were played today. Here are the final scores:
Scott County 68, Adair County 53
Holmes 55, South Laurel 49
Ballard 71, Clark County 48
Warren Central 92, Elliott County 76
The Semifinals are tomorrow- Scott County vs. Holmes at 10 a.m., and Ballard vs. Warren Central at 11:30 a.m. The championship game is tomorrow night at 8 o'clock.

Notes:

• Clark County scored the first two points of the second quarter(on a Preston Knowles basket) to cut Ballard's lead to 2 at 14-12. Ballard then went on a 23-0 run.
• The Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches presented the 2007 Boys Court of Honor this afternoon. Former St. Patrick coach Lex Turner was the 10th Region honoree. Each of the 16 coaches will have a brick in the KHSAA "Court of Honor" at the Association office display in Lexington.
• Bart Rison, who announced he is stepping down as boys' basketball coach at Montgomery County, was recognized for picking up his 500th win this season. Rison will continue to serve as Athletic Director and Fast Pitch Softball coach at Montgomery County.

Lofton Scores 24 in UT Loss to Ohio State

Chris Lofton scored 24 points but the Tennessee Volunteers lost to the Ohio State Buckeyes 85-84 last night in the semi-finals of NCAA South Region. Tennessee led by 20 in the first half and by 17 at the half. Lofton was nine of 18 from the field including six of 13 on three-point shots. He had five rebounds and one assist.

More Spring Football News

Mason County Royals football coach David Buchanan says the team was fortunate to get in a very good practice Thursday after starting off with a lot of uncertainty.
"Were we going to the gym because of rain, and was Tubby Smith leaving UK? ," Buchanan said in an e-mail mesage. "Our phones were ringing with people thinking Chris Ullery or myself would know or could find out."
"Once we got outside, we did some fundamental work and went into team offense, all shotgun, with heavy emphasis on the run game with pass and screens mixed in, " Buchanan said. " We went for 35 minutes non-stop. For only having 22 players (Thursday), the tempo was great and we executed well. We were real pleased with the work we got in. Our run game blocking in the gun looked like we could be (okay) there."
"We then spent fundamental time on snapping, punting, fielding punts, anddefensive fundamentals and reads. I kept the young (wide receivers) and Colt [Fearis] to work them. We finished with tackling work and then what we call toon time. Great way to finish practice."
"For having what could have been alot of rain, and only 22 players, we were real pleased and felt like we got alot accomplished", Buchanan said. "It has been a while since we have strung together so many consecutive good practices. We are pleased, and optimistic- but also realistic and realize we have a lot of areas to improve."

State Tourney Was Buzzing About Tubby

In the middle of the most exciting game of the National City/KHSAA Sweet 16-Clark County vs. Christian County-the news of Tubby Smith's move from Kentucky to Minnesota was sweeping through Rupp Arena. One fan told another and then another. People were using their cellphones to spread the news. Those who got bits and pieces of the story where holloring across the sections of the crowd to get more information. It was really difficult to concentrate on the game from where I was sitting. It reminded me a little of the championship game of the 1992 state tournament when the fans were more concerned with the Kentucky-Duke game in the NCAA Tournament. Clark County beat Christian County 77-71 in overtime. Preston Knowles led the Cardinals in scoring with 24 points. Tristan Jones had 20 points and 15 rebounds. Clark County will play Ballard in the quarterfinals tomorrow night. Ballard defeated Owensboro 80-60. Owensboro had 36 turnovers. In tonight's games, Elliott County beat Shelby Valley 68-55 and Warren Central was a 71-53 winner over June Buchanan.

• Despite suffering a broken hip last September, longtime Maysville scorekeeper Arthur "Punk" Griffin, has been at the state tournament the first two days. Griffin turned 80 on September 9, and broke his hip on September 15. He's a patient at Veteran's Hospital. Philip Hay interviewed Griffin today. Griffin has vivid memories of Maysville's win over Brewers in the championship game of the 1947 state tournament. He said the Bulldogs confused Brewers by switching up their players between the guard and forward positions in the title game. Griffin said this was the first season he did not attend a game before the Sweet 16, but he was able to keep his state tournament streak going.

Spring Football Update

The opening day of the state tournament put me behind on updating you on what's been happening at Mason County's spring football practice. The Royals held a 60 play scrimmage Tuesday on a beautiful, warm day.
"[The] Passing game looked much better than it had previously in practice," Buchanan said in an e-mail message. " We caught the ball well. We hit much better. The enthusiasm was good, and we were able to involve everyone."
Richie Cox got 15 plays at quarterback before going to baseball, and Colt Fearis got the other 45.
Buchanan said the numbers were down Wednesday because a lot of players are attending the state tournament. The team worked on fundementals on both sides of the ball.
He says the Royals' kickers this season may be the Batey twins, Jessica and Rebecca.
"As we speak, they are the best two kickers on the team.," Buchanan said. "One may handle (P-A-Ts and field goals) while the other does the (kickoff). I have never had 2 girls on the team, but I hope they work out because they will help us win. And, they are just sophomores so we would have them 2 seasons."
Buchanan said Fearis got a lot of work at quarterback Wednesday with Cox at baseball.
"We think we may have over 22 players capable of starting and winning on Friday night," Buchanan said. " We are not there yet, but the coaches put a preliminary depth chart on the board after practice with only one player going both ways. I am not sure we will go that route, but we are encouraged by our kids, the numbers, their attitude and potential. The more guys that we can play that can help us win, the better- fewer injuries, less fatigue, more focus onposition, and improved morale. Too early to tell, but we have not had this type of depth since I have been here."

60th Anniversary of MHS Bulldogs' State Title

Thursday marks the 60th anniversary of the Maysville Bulldogs' state championship. The Bulldogs, coached by Earle D. Jones, defeated Brewers 54-50 in the championship game on March 22, 1947 in the Louisville Armory.

Sweet 16 Underway

Adair County and Scott County were winners in the opening session of the 90th National City/KHSAA Boys' Sweet 16 today. Adair County appeared to be more relaxed than Lincoln County and won 51-41. Tournament favorite Scott County jumped all over Oldham County early in the game and led 36-15 at the half. Scott County coach Billy Hicks emptied his bench and the Cardinals won 59-47.

• Philip Hay interviewed former Bracken County coach Robert Hammonds at halftime of the first game. Hammonds completed his first season as the coach at West Jessamine. I interviewed Tim Sullivan at halftime of the second game. Sullivan, who was the head coach at St. Patrick in the 2004-05 season and an assistant coach at Mason County last season, is an assistant coach at his alma mater, Holmes. The Holmes Bulldogs play Paducah Tilghman in the second game of tonight's session.
• Kentucky coach Tubby Smith was at the games today.

South Laurel rallied from an eight point third quarter deficit to edge Fairdale 48-46 in the tonight' s first game. Holmes topped Paducah Tilghman 57-48.

• Our halftime interviews tonight were with St. Patrick coach Jason Hinson and Augusta coach Robin Kelsch.
• Pikeville College coach Kelly Wells is at the tournament. We hope to interview him tomorrow.
• 10th Region champion Clark County plays 2nd Region champion Christian County in the second game tomorrow.

Mason County Baseball Schedule

The Mason County Royals baseball team opens the season Monday. Here is the team's schedule:

Mar. 26 Lewis County Home (V/JV) 5:00
Mar. 27 Bourbon County Away (V) 5:00
Mar. 28 Nicholas County Home (V/JV) 5:00
Mar. 30 Pendleton County in Rowan County Tourn. (V) 7:30
Mar. 31 Rowan County in Rowan County Tourn. (V) 10:00
Mar. 31 Morgan County in Rowan County Tourn. (V) 12:00
Apr. 2 Campbell County Home (JV/V) 5:00
Apr. 3 Fleming County Home (JV/V) 5:00
Apr. 4 Silver Grove Away (V) 5:00
Apr. 5 Deming Home (V) 5:00
Apr. 6 Scott Home (V) 6:00
Apr. 7 Nicholas County Away (F/V/JV)10:00
Apr. 9 Bracken County Away (JV/V) 05:00
Apr. 10 Lewis County Away (JV DH) 4:00
Apr. 11 Augusta Home (V) 5:00
Apr. 13 Bell County Tourney Away (V) TBA
Apr. 14 Bell County Tourney Away (V) TBA
Apr. 16 Bath County Away (V) 5:30
Apr. 17 Lewis County Away (V) 5:00
Apr. 18 Pendleton County Away (V/JV) 5:00
Apr. 20 Russell Spectrum Graphics Classic Home (V) 8:30
Apr. 21 Bourbon County Spectrum Graphics Classic Home (V) 10:00
Apr. 21 Ashland Spectrum Graphics Classic Home (V) 5:30
Apr. 23 Silver Grove Away (F) 5:00
Apr. 24 Campbell County Away (JV/V) 5:00
Apr. 26 Newport Central Catholic in Harrison County Tourney (V)7:30
Apr. 28 Boyle County in Harrison County Tourney (V) 11:00
Apr. 30 St. Patrick Away (JV/V) 5:00
May 1 Harrison County Home (JV/V) 5:00
May 2 Clark County Away (JV/V) 5:30
May 4 Augusta Away (V)5:00
May 5 JV Tourney Home (JV) TBA
May 7 Bracken County Home (JV/V) 5:00
May 8 Harrison County Away (JV/V) 5:30
May 9 Villa Madonna Home (V) 5:30
May 11 Ashland Away (V) 6:00
May 14 Greenup County Away (V) 6:00
May 15 Bishop Brossart Home (V) 5:15
May 16 Bellevue Home (V) 7:00
May 17 St. Patrick Home (JV/V) 5:00
May 19 Fleming County Away (V/JV) 1:00

Second Week of Spring Football

The Mason County Royals started the second week of spring football Monday with a practice in The Fieldhouse. In an e-mail message, coach David Buchanan said the emphasis was offense run and short passing game/screens. He said the team also worked hard on punt protection, kickoff coverage, and kickoff return blocking, and spent some time on defensive reads.

St. Patrick Baseball Schedule

The St. Patrick Saints baseball team opens the season Monday. Here is the team's schedule:

Mar. 26 Deming Home 5:00
Mar. 27 Paris Home 5:00
Mar. 29 Nicholas County Home 5:00
Mar. 30 Silver Grove All "A" 10th Region 5:00
Apr. 17 Fleming County Home 5:00
Apr. 19 Bracken County Home 5:00
Apr. 25 Lewis County Home 5:30
Apr. 30 Masom County Home 5:00
May 1 Fleming County Away 5:00
May 2 Deming Away 5:00
May 8 Augusta Away 5:00
May 9 Nicholas County Away 5:00
May 12 Sayre Away 2:30
May 14 Villa Madonna Away 5:00
May 16 Silver Grove Away 5:00
May 17 Mason County Away 5:00
May 18 Bracken County Away 5:00

Coach Jones Started First High School Hoops Poll in Kentucky

(Here's a condensed and edited version of a column I wrote last year for the Mason County Beat about legendary Maysville coach Earle D. Jones starting the first high school basketball poll in Kentucky)

There’s no shortage of high school basketball rankings in Kentucky now days. Both major newspapers conduct pre-season coaches polls and have computer rankings during the season, the Associated Press has a writers’ poll and Internet sites have their own rankings.
But that’s not always been the case. At one time, there were no high school hoops rankings in Kentucky. Legendary Maysville Bulldogs Coach Earle D. Jones started the first poll in Kentucky nearly 70 years ago.
Jones told me about it during an interview in 1987. He got the idea for a high school basketball poll during one of his trips to the Indiana state tournament in 1938 or 1939.
The Indiana tournament was held the week after the Kentucky state tournament.
Jones went to the tourney in Indianapolis every year with University of Kentucky Coach Adolph Rupp, Paris Coach Blanton Collier and Eastern Kentucky University Coach Paul McBrayer.
Sometimes, Lafayette Coach Ralph Carlisle made the trip.
Jones said Indianapolis was "basketball mad." 16,000 fans attended the games, and you had to pay a premium price to get into Butler Fieldhouse. Jones said he kept hearing fans talking about the polls saying so and so was going to win.
"And I got to thinking why can’t we do that in Kentucky," Jones said in the 1987 interview. "I said ‘I’m going to see if we can’t start a poll here in Kentucky.’"
Jones came back home to Maysville, and wrote to the Department of Journalism at the University of Kentucky and got the name of every newspaper in Kentucky. He started sending out ballots to the newspapers on post cards. Each newspaper editor was asked to list the top five teams. Jones said nearly all the papers responded.
Jones says some of the editors didn’t know anything about basketball, and you should have seen some of the teams they voted for. Even so, the poll was a success.
"We got that [poll] going, and it caught on," he said. Jones said the poll made basketball "rather attractive."
Several years later the Courier-Journal started the Litkenhous rankings. The Lit rankings were the most closely observed ratings when the Courier-Journal was circulated throughout the state.
In recent years, Dave Cantrell’s Rating the State rankings in the Herald-Leader have probably become the most popular rating system. The Associated Press poll took its cue from Coach Jones and uses votes by sports editors and broadcasters from across the state. Some Internet sites let the fans rank the teams.
I’m not sure many coaches put much stock in the rankings, but the fans and media enjoy seeing how the teams stack up. Even though there’s pressure with being ranked number one, it’s a thrill to be at the top of the rankings. You can always count on a big crowd when the top ranked team comes to town. It’s also a big boost to a team if it can upset the number one squad.
You can bet the fans will be pouring over the rankings this week during the state tournament. No matter how you look them, the rankings generate interest in high school basketball as well as other sports, and that’s what Coach Jones had in mind when he started the first poll in Kentucky many years ago.

Lofton Scores 20 as UT Advances to Sweet 16

Chris Lofton scored 20 points to lead the Tennessee Volunteers to a 77-74 win over the Virginia Cavaliers today in the NCAA Tournament. Tennessee advances to the Sweet 16 to play the Ohio State Buckeyes. Lofton was just four of 16 from the field, but he he made nine of 10 free throws including six of six down the stretch.
Here's what Virgina coach Dave Leitao said about Lofton in the postgame press conference: "You know what, he's a great player. He's not a great player because he's a shooter, he's a great player because he's a player. They make plays at the most important time for their team and I'm sure everybody on their side felt very, very comfortable when he went to the line and knocked those shots down."

Source on quote: postgame press conference transcript on www.utsports.com

Lady Royals Fast Pitch Softball Schedule

Meredith Fraysure begins he second season as head coach of the Mason County Lady Royals Fast Pitch Softball team. Here is the team's schedule:

Mar. 26 St. Patrick Away 5:00
Mar. 27 Bracken County Home 5:15
Mar. 28 Bourbon County Away 5:00
Mar. 30 Lewis County Away 5:00
Apr. 2 Rowan County Away 5:00
Apr. 4 Bishop Brossart Away 5:00
Apr. 5 Campbell County Home 4:30
Apr. 16 St. Henry Home 5:15
Apr. 17 Harrison County Away 5:00
Apr. 19 Pendleton County Home 5:00
Apr. 24 Nicholas County Home 5:00
Apr. 25 Bourbon County Home 5:00
Apr. 26 Clark County Home 5:30
Apr. 30 Paris Away 5:00
May 1 Harrison County Home 5:00
May 2 St. Henry Away 5:15
May 3 Pendleton County Away 6:30
May 4 Bracken County Away 7:00
May 7 St. Patrick Home 5:00
May 8 Montgomery County Away 5:15
May 9 Fleming County Home 4;30
May 14 Rowan County Home 5:00
May 15 Fleming County Away 4:30
May 16 Lewis County Home 5:00
May 17 Bishop Brossart Home 4:30

Lady Saints Fast Pitch Softball Schedule

Jason Hinson is the new coach of the St. Patrick Lady Saints Fast Pitch Softball team. Here is team's the schedule:

Mar. 26 Maaon County Home 5:00
Mar. 28 Nicholas County Home 5:00
Mar. 30 Bracken County Away 5:00
Apr. 2 Bracken County Home 5:00
Apr. 4 Fleming CountyHome 4:30
Apr. 17 Pendleton County Away 5:00
Apr. 19 Augusta Away 5:00
Apr. 21 Paris All "A" Region 1:00
Apr. 23 Ripley Away 5:00
May 1 Pendleton County Home 5:30
May 3 Harrison County Away5:00
May 7 Mason County Away 5:00
May 9 Augusta Home 5:00
May14 Bishop Brossart Away 5:00
May 17 Fleming County Away 4:30

Lofton Scores 25 as Vols Rout Long Beach State

Chris Lofton made four three-pointers and scored a game-high 25 points to lead the Tennessee Volunteers to a 121-86 win over Long Beach State today in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Lofton was nine of 14 from the field including four of eight on three-pointers.
He was three of three from the free throw line, and had three rebounds, two assists and four steals in 29 minutes of action.

Spring Football Day 4

The Mason County Royals football team practiced in The Fieldhouse Thursday. In his daily e-mail update, coach David Buchanan said the team moved inside to save wear, tear, and mud on equipment and practice field. Plus, the focus was on inside run offense and defense. Buchanan says they can do that easily in the gym and the video is much better from the top of the gym.
"Execution was fair (Thursday), but we were not physical at all," Buchanan said in the e-mail message. "... Our young wide receivers took another big step (Thursday). Our route running, blocking, and catching improve substantially each day. Coach Faulkner and (coach) Ullery do a great job with those guys. When we are doing inside drills, those guys catch alot of balls."
The Royals are taking today off in both the weight room and from the practice field to watch Chris Lofton and his Tennessee teammates play Long Beach State in the NCAA Tournament.

Spring Football Practice Day 3

On day three of the Mason County Royals' spring football practice the focus on offense was the passing games. The defense worked on fundamentals, reads and techniques. The special teams did "Perfect 10," an open field tackling drill.
In his daily e-mail update, coach David Buchanan said the team could have quite a bit of depth at several positions including running back, offensive line, defensive line and linebacker. He said Wednesday's practice included a talk about competition for positions.
"That is tough for kids and parents to deal with at times," Buchanan said in the e-mail message. "Right now, it is very competitive. The starter at one spot this week, may not be there the next week, or August, or the first game, or even in November."
" It is a tough transition to go from rec league type settings to something that is highly competitive and very much results-oriented. If kids can fight through the competitive part of this, they emerge as much better players, and tougher people. But, it is a tough thing to go through. I can relate to it because I was one of those guys that had to fight to even step on the field. It is tough- but in the long run it is an experience that makes you stronger, and appreciate what you earned."

Lofton and Vols Play Long Beach State

I'm sure a lot of local people are heading to Columbus Friday to watch Chris Lofton and his Tennessee teammates play Long Beach State in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Here are the links to a couple of good stories by Chris Low, the UT beat writer for the Tennessean newspaper:

Story No. 1

Story No. 2

Spring Football Practice Day Two

The Mason County Royals football team had its first full workout of spring practice Tuesday. The team worked on all three phases of the game. The special teams emphasis was punt protection.
Mason County basketball standout Darius Miller told Royals football coach David Buchanan that he would not be playing football next season. Miller was a wide receiver last season.
"Darius is a wonderful young man, and we support him in doing what he believes he needs to do," Buchanan said in an e-mail message. "Darius has been a pleasure to coach. He is a very good person that is very much respected by our staff."
"I have been real pleased with the attitude of our coaches on this one- they genuinely care about Darius and want him to do what he believes is right for him," Buchanan said. "Not one of our coaches has been negative about it in anyway. I am fortunate to have a staff of guys that not only knows the game of football and can really coach- they care about kids."
"We will miss (Darius) next year as both a person and player. But, we wish him the best. And, we still believe we have enough good football players to reach our goals as long as we do the things we must do."

Case Drives in Tying Run in Thomas More's Comeback Win

Thomas More first baseman Sommer Case doubled home the tying run with two out in the top of the seventh inning and the Saints went on to edge Centre 5-4 in the second game of a doubleheader yesterday in Danville. Thomas More trailed 4-0 before scoring two runs in the sixth inning and three in the seventh inning. Case had a single, a double and an RBI, and scored two runs in four at bats in Thomas More's 9-2 win in the first game.

Spring Football Practice Underway

Mason County Royals football team began spring practice Monday.
The first practice started with quarterbacks, centers, running backs and wide receivers. The staff also worked with the punters and long snappers.
A normal full practice is scheduled today.
"We weren't quite ready to get going (Monday), but we still got some good things done," Royals coach David Buchanan said in an e-mail message. "For example, some of our new receivers got a lot of balls to catch, our new centers got a lot of snaps with the QBs., and we got a lot done with our new fullbacks working the mesh with the QBs. It gave us a head start with some guys that needed to iron some things out before we get it going for good (today)."

Case Off to Fast Start for Senior Season at Thomas More

Despite suffering an ankle injury the first week of the season, Thomas More senior Sommer Case of Maysville, is among the team leaders in several offensive categories for the Saints' softball team. Case leads the team in two categories- an on base percentage (.515) and walks (five). She has the second highest batting average (.407) and is tied for third in hits (11). Case's h three doubles are third best and she ranks fourth with 14 total bases. Case is the starting first baseman for the Saints who are 7-4 after playing in tournaments in Maryville, Tennessee and Orange, California. Case went three for three and drove in four runs in Thomas More's 9-4
win over Lake Erie College in the tournament in California. The Saints travel to Danville tomorrow to play Centre.

Miller Now 7th on the Royals' Scoring List

Mason County junior Darius Miller is now 7th on the Royals' all-time scoring list. Miller has scored 1,415 career points. He moved past Tommy Corde, Mike Corde and Timmy Myrick in recent games. Miller, who scored a career-high 33 points in the Royals' loss to Clark County in the region final Sunday, started the season in 30th place on the scoring list. He scored 589 points this season.

Clark County Beats Mason County To Win the Region

The Clark County Cardinals upset the Mason County Royals 63-59 today in the championship game of the Boys' 10th Region Tournament. There were 12 ties and 11 lead changes in the game. Clark County senior Preston Knowles and Mason County junior Darius Miller each scored 33 points. Clark County junior Evan Bennett came off the bench to score nine points, and his three-pointer gave the Cardinals a seven point with just over a minute to play. Mason County got to within three at 62-59 and had a chance to tie the game but missed a three-pointer. Bennett made one of two free throws with 13 seconds left to seal Clark County's first regional championship since 1990. Knowles was 11 of 22 from the field including four of nine on three-pointers. He made seven of nine free throws and grabbed eight rebounds. Miller was 14 of 20 from the field including one of three on three-pointers. He was four of seven from the free throw and had 10 rebounds. Russ Middleton had seven asists for the Royals.

CC FG 49% 3 PT FG 35.7% FT 62.5% REB 26 TO 12
MC FG 52.2% 3 PT FG 21.4% FT 57.1% REB 27 TO 14

Clark County (25-7) Knowles 33, Lewis 2, Rogers 4, Wood 4, Stenzel 2, Bennett 9, Jones 9
Mason County (28-3) Scott 5, Miller 33, Pawsat 6, Setty 13, Middleton 2

Notes:
- Mason County senior Tony Browning suffered an ankle injury with 4:46 left in the second quarter and missed the rest of the game;
- The loss snapped three Mason County winning streaks- 15 straight this season, 20 in a row at home going back to last season and 24 straight against 10th Region opponents going back to last season;
- Mason County is now 11-11 in region finals. Four of the losses have been to Clark County;
- Former Mason County coach and current Pikeville College coach Kelly Wells was at the game, as was Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Mick Cronin.

Four Local Players Named to Region All-Tournament Team

De'sarae Chambers, Lacey Cline and Kasey Litzinger of Mason County, and Emily Brant of St. Patrick were named to the 10th Region All-Tournament Team.

Lady Royals Fall to Lady Indians in Region Final

The Mason County Lady Royals lost a heartbreaker to the Montgomery County Lady Indians
66-63 in the 10th Region championship game tonight at Montgomery County. The Lady Royals rallied from a seven point fourth quarter deficit to take a couple of one point leads late in the game, but the Lady Indians pulled out the victory for their third consecutive regional title. Montgomery County junior Maggie Prewitt had a game-high 23 points. Mackenzie Lee added 12 for the Lady Indians. Lacey Cline led the Lady Royals with 21 points. De'Sarae Chambers scored 19 points.

Montgomery County FG 44.2% 3 PT FG 58.3% FT 81.3% REB 29 TO 13
Mason County FG 48% 3 PT FG 31.6% FT 81.8% REB 26 TO 15

Montgomery County (29-5) Lee 12, Prewitt 23, High 9, Danis 6, Barnard 3, Thomas 6,
Colliver 7
Mason County (22-10) Reese 3, Menke 2, T. Chambers 9, Litzinger 9, Cline 21, D. Chambers 19

Montgomery County 14 17 17 18-66
Mason County 14 12 16 21-63

It's Mason Co. vs. Clark Co. in Boys Region 10 Final

The Mason County Royals and Clark County Cardinals will meet in the championship game of the Boys' 10th Region Tournament tomorrow at 3 p.m. at The Fieldhouse. In today's semifinals, Mason County beat Bishop Brossart 63-57 and Clark County edged Scott 53-52. The Royals led by eight at halftime and by 16 at 45-29 with 7:38 left in the game but Brossart cut it to 58-54 on Josh Kidney's fourth three-pointer of the fourth quarter with just over :30 seconds left. Tony Browning answered with a two-handed dunk, then the Royals' press forced a turnover and Darius Miller made a shot to make it 62-54. It was Mason County's third win over Brossart this season. Miller led all scorers with 26 points despite picking up two fouls in the first quarter. Russ Middleton scored 17 and Trevor Setty had 10. Troy Cooper led the Mustangs with 26 points. Kidney scored 19 including 17 in the fourth quarter. In the second game, eighth grader Robbie Stenzel made two free throws with 14 seconds left to give Clark County a 53-52 lead. Scott's Nathan Sharp missed a short shot in the lane as time ran out and Clark County avoided the upset. Clark County's top two players-Tristan Jones and Preston Knowles- both fouled out in the fourth quarter. Jones went out with 3:38 left and Knowles picked up his fifth foul with 39 seconds to go. Scott missed six free throws in the final quarter. MC FG 42.2% 3 PT FG 20% FT 64.7% REB 32 TO 16 BB FG 34.6% 3 PT FG 21.1% FT 73.9% REB 37 TO 20 Mason County (28-2) Miller 26, King 1, Pawsat 2, Setty 10, Browning 5, Middleton 17, Stahl 2 Bishop Brossart (28-5) Kidney 19, Rebholz 4, Niemeyer 4, Uebel 6, Cooper 24 MC 16 09 17 21-63 BB 07 10 12 28-57 CC FG 37.5% 3 PT FG 20% FT 86.7% REB 32 TO 9 S FG 50% 3 PT FG 36.4% FT 52.6% REB 25 TO 8 Clark County (24-7) Knowles 20, Hatton 9, Lewis 4, Rogers 2, Wood 4, Stenzel 2, Bennett 3 Scott (22-12) Smith 8, Hiller 2, Gligoravich 4, Felts 5, Sharp 16, Norman 2, Miller 15 CC 10 20 11 12-53 S 14 09 13 16-52

Mason Co. vs. Montgomery Co. in Girls 10th Region Final

For the second time in three years, the Montgomery County Lady Indians and the Mason County Lady Royals, will meet in the championship game of the Girls' 10th Region Tournament.
Tip-off is at 8 0'clock tonight at Montgomery County. The Lady Royals beat the Lady Indians 77-67 Jan. 26 at The Fieldhouse. That win snapped a three-game losing streak to Montgomery County which began in the championship game of the 2005 10th Region Tournament. Montgomery County is the two-time defending champion of the 10th Region.
Mason County is shooting for its first region championship since 1987.

Boys 10th Region Semifinal Matchups

Arguably the four best teams in the Boys 10th Region have reached the regional semifinals which will be played today at The Fieldhouse. It's Bishop Brossart (28-4) against the Mason County Royals (27-2) at 12 p.m., and the Scott Eagles(22-10) vs. the Clark County Cardinals(23-7) at 3:30 p.m. Bishop Brossart won the Touchstone Energy All "A" Classic last month. Mason County, the defending champion of the 10th Region, is ranked in the top five in the state. The Royals defeated the Mustangs twice during the regular season-56-33 Jan. 6 in the championship game of the Pepsi Mason County Invitational Tournament and 61-49 Feb. 21 at The Fieldhouse. Scott and Clark County did not play each other in the regular season. The Cardinals edged the Eagles 70-68 on a last second putback by Preston Knowles in the first round of last year's regional tournament.

Lady Royals Beat Brossart in Region Semifinal

The Mason County Lady Royals made free throws and got defensive stops down the stretch to pull out a 63-55 win over the Bishop Brossart 'Lady Stangs tonight in a 10th Region semifinal at Montgomery County. The Lady Royals trailed by six at halftime. After trailing 53-51, Mason County ended the game on a 12-4 run. Kasey Litzinger led the way with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Lacey Cline and De'Sarare Chambers scored 14 points apiece. Cline had seven assists. The Lady Royals will play the Montgomery County Lady Indians in the championship game Saturday at 8 p.m. Montgomery County beat Harrison County 66-38 in the other semifinal.

MC FG 34.4% 3 PT FG 24% FT 72.2% REB 41 TO 9
BB FG 45.5% 3 PT FG 12.5% FT 57.1% REB 35 TO 15

Mason County (22-9) Reese 7, Menke 3, T. Chambers 9, Litzinger 16, Cline 14, D. Chambers 14
Bishop Brossart (20-8) Harris 8, Henke 14, Sanker 4, Steffen 4, Watson 14, Butsch 5, Duff 6

MC 12 06 24 21 21-63
BB 12 12 15 16-55

Girls' 10th Region Semis Tonight

The semifnals of the Girls' 10th Region Tournament will be played tonight at
Montgomery County.

6:30 p.m. Montgomery County vs. Harrison County

• The Montgomery County Lady Indians are 27-5. They've won 11 straight games since back-to-back road losses to Breathitt County and Mason County. The Lady Indians average winning margin during the winning streak is 33.5 points per game. Montgomery County is the two-time defending champion of the Girls' 10th Region Tournament.
• The Harrison County Fillies are 18-11 and have won four in row. The Fillies are shooting for their first trip to the region final since 2004 when they lost to Paris 45-42.

The two teams have not played each other in the regular season since the 2001-02 season.

8:15 Bishop Brossart vs. Mason County

• The Bishop Brossart Lady 'Stangs are 20-7. They've won three straight games after ending the regular season with back-t0-back losses.
• The Lady 'Stangs are trying to get to the region championship game for the second year. Bishop Brossart lost to Montgomery County 51-32 in last year's region final.
• The Mason County Lady Royals are 21-9 after pulling out a 56-55 first round win over Clark County. The Lady Royals are on a 10 game winning streak after losing three straight games in January.
• Mason County is trying to advance to the region championship game for the second time in three years. The Lady Royals lost to Montgomery County 71-69 in overtime in the 2005 region final.
• Mason County beat Bishop Brossart 63-48 on the Lady 'Stangs' homecourt Jan. 22.

Lofton Scores 21 in Tennessee Loss to LSU

Chris Lofton scored 21 points but the Tennessee Volunteers lost to the LSU Tigers 76-67 in overtime in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament. Lofton scored the first seven points of the game and his tip-in with 12 seconds left tied the game and forced overtime.
Lofton hit three three-pointers, becoming the third player in SEC history to hit 300 three-pointers in a career. He also reached the 1,500-point mark his career. Lofton now has 1,503 points. I know I've said it before, but it still seems to me that Lofton's teammates fail to get him the ball in several stretches of the game. In my opinion, if he gets more looks throughout the game, it doesn't go into overtime. If the Volunteers continue to play that way they won't last long in the NCAA tournament.

Scott and Clark County Advance in Regional

The Scott Eagles beat the Harrison County Thorobreds 66-59 and the Clark County Cardinals defeated the Augusta Panthers 84-41 in the first round of the Boys' 10th Region Tournament.
Harrison County led by 10 in the first quarter, but Scott rallied and led by 16 in the third quarter. The Thorobreds wouldn't quit and they trimmed to the deficit to four but could get no closer. It was Scott's first win in the 10th Region Tournament. The Eagles lost in the first round last year, their first season in the region. Clark County led 20-3 at the end of the first quarter and cruised to the win over Augusta. The semifinals will be played Saturday. Bishop Brossart vs. Mason County at noon followed by Scott against Clark County at 3:30.

Lofton Third Team All-America

Tennessee guard Chris Lofton has received another award. The National Association of Basketball Coaches announced today Lofton was a third team All-America selection.
The Volunteers play LSU in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament tomorrow night at 9:45.

Royals Beat Montgomery in Regional

The Mason County Royals jumped out to a 27-9 first quarter lead and beat the Montgomery County Indians 71-54 tonight in the first round of the Boys 10th Region Tournament at The Fieldhouse. Mason County made 11 of 15 shots in the first quarter. Darius Miller and Russ Middleton combined for 32 first half points. The Royals led by as many as 30 in the third quarter. Miller ended up with a game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds. Middleton scored 15 points on five three-pointers.
Montgomery County was without starter Brad Utterback and sub Kaleb Curtis. They both suffered ankle injuries in practice this week. Mason County has won 14 straight games. The Royals will play Bishop Brossart in the upper bracket semifinal Saturday at noon. The Mustangs defeated the Deming Black Devils 58-34 in the tournament opener.

Mason County FG 45.8% 3 PT FG 35.5% FT 66.7% REB 38 TO 13
Montgomery County FG 34.5% 3 PT FG 28.6% FT 83.3% REB 32 TO 14

Mason County (27-2) Scott 8, Miller 19, King 5, Pawsat 4, Setty 8, Browning 8, Middleton 15,
N. Stahl 2, W. Stahl 2
Montgomery County (22-8) Clark 10, Stull 11, Curtis 2, Nester 6, Witt 4, B. Rash 12, Hendrix 2,
Lyons 3, M. Rash 4

Mason County 27 20 12 12-71
Montgomery County 09 12 13 20-54

Boys 10th Region Team Records

Here are the all-time Boys 10th Region Tournament records for the schools in this year's tournament which begins today at the Mason County Fieldhouse:

Bishop Brossart
1 title, 1-1 in the finals, 2-3 in the semifinals, 5-2 in the first round, 8-6 overall;

Deming
0 titles, 0-0 in the finals, 0-1 in the semfinals, 1-18 in the first round, 1-19 overall;

Montgomery County
1 title, 1-6 in the finals, 7-8 in the semifinals, 15-14 in the first round, 23-28 overall;

Mason County
11 titles, 11-10 in the finals, 21-10 in the semifinals, 31-8 in the first round,
63-28 overall;

Harrison County
9 titles, 9-2 in the finals, 11-11 in the semifinals, 22-12 in the first round,
42-25 overall;

Scott
0 titles, 0-0 in the finals, 0-0 in the semifinals, 0-1 in the first round, 0-1 overall;

Clark County
6 titles, 6-8 in the finals, 14-7 in the semifinals, 21-13 in the first round,
41-28 overall;

Augusta
0 titles, 0-0 in the finals, 0-1 in the semifinals, 1-11 in the first round,
1-12 overall;

Source: Jim Swinford (WCYN radio)

Lofton Unanimous Selection on All SEC Team

For the second straight year, Chris Lofton is a unanimous selection to the
All-Southeastern Conference First Team in voting by the league coaches.
The All SEC Teams were announced this morning.
Lofton leads the SEC in scoring with 20.6 points per game and 3.33 three-pointers a game. He also ranks fourth in free throw shooting at 81%.

Lady Royals Edge Lady Cards in Region

The Mason County Lady Royals rallied from a five point fourth quarter deficit to beat the Clark County Lady Cardinals 56-55 tonight in the first round of the Girls' 10th Region Tournament at
Montgomery County. Mason County broke a 7-7 with a 13-0 run in the first half and led 29-17 at halftime. Clark County outscored Mason County 26-13 in the third quarter. The Lady Cardinal were up 53-48 before the Lady Royals ended the game on an 8-2 run. Clark County played for the last shot but turned the ball over with just a few seconds left. De'Sarae Chambers led Mason County in scoring with 17 points. Kasey Litzinger and Lacey Cline added
11 points apiece. Eighth grader Preshia Rogers came off the bench to score 20 points for Clark County. Freshman Jewel Rogers scored 17. Mason County will play Bishop Brossart in the lower bracket semifinal Friday night. The Lady 'Stangs defeated Nicholas County 44-21 tonight.

MC FG 46.8% 3 PT FG 30% FT 75% REB 27 TO 18
CC FG 38.2% 3 PT FG 33.3% FT 61.5% REB 34 TO 17

Mason County (21-9) Reese 5, Menke 3, T. Chambers 9, Litzinger 11, Cline 11, D. Chambers 17
Clark County (17-11) P. Rogers 20, Knowles 4, J. Rogers 17, Montgomery 2, Cates 4, McCaffery 8

MC 11 18 13 14-56
CC 07 10 26 12-55

Lady Saints Fall to Fillies in Regional

The St. Patrick Lady Saints lost to the Harrison County Fillies 55-33 tonight in the first round of the Girls' 10th Region Tournament at Montgomery County. Harrison County will play Montgomery County in the upper bracket semifinal Friday night. The Lady Indians routed the Scott Eagles 80-36 in the first game tonight.

HC FG 41.3% 3 PT FG 28.6% FT 56.5% REB 34 TO 15
ST.P FG 25.5% 3 PT FG 9% FT 80% REB 35 TO 25

Harrison County (18-11) Turley 18, Hatfield 12, Bullock 10, Muntz 8, Highlander 6
St. Patrick (8-19) Brant 8, Rutherford 7, King 6, Chamberlain 5, Weber 3, Pfeffer 2, Payne 2

HC 17 08 19 11-55
ST.P 06 08 06 13-33

Girls 10th Region Team Records

Here are the all-time Girls' 10th Region Tournament records of the teams in this year's tournament which starts tonight at Montgomery County:

Montgomery County
6 titles, 6-1 in the finals, 7-3 in the semifinals, 10-11 in the first round, 23-15 overall;

Scott
First trip

Harrison County
2 titles, 2-7 in the finals, 9-7 in the semifinals, 16-9 in the first round, 27-23 overall;

St. Patrick
0 titles, 0-0 in the finals, 0-2 in the semifinals, 2-7 in the first round, 2-9 overall;

Bishop Brossart
1 titles, 1-5 in the finals, 6-2 in the semifnals, 8-1 in the first round, 15-8 overall;

Nicholas County

3 titles, 3-1 in the finals, 4-0 in the semifinals, 4-4 in the first round, 11-5 overall;

Mason County

6 titles, 6-4 in the finals, 10-11 in the semifinals, 21-10 in the first round, 37-25 overall;

Clark County

8 titles, 8-3 in the finals, 11-6 in the semifinals, 17-12 in the first round, 36-21 overall.

Source: Tony Sapp and Rick Swartz

Boys' 10th Region Tournament Pairings

The draw for the Boys' 10th Region Tournament was held this afternoon at Mason County.
The tournament begins Wednesday at the Fieldhouse. Here's the schedule;

Wednesday
Bishop Brossart vs. Deming 5 p.m.
Mason County vs. Montgomery County 8:30 p.m.

Thursday
Harrison County vs. Scott 5 p.m.
Clark County vs. Augusta 8:30 p.m.

Saturday
Semifinals 12 noon and 3:30 p.m.

Sunday
Championship game 3 p.m.

There will be split sessions Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. Admission is $5.

Lofton Scores 14 In UT's Win Over Georgia

Chris Lofton made three 3-pointers and scored 14 points as the Tennessee Volunteers closed out the regular season with a 71-65 road win over the Georgia Bulldogs today.
Tennessee has won seven of eight games since Lofton returned from an ankle injury.
The Volunteers, 22-9 overall and 10-6 in the Southeastern Conference, clinched the Eastern Division's number three seed in the SEC Tournament.

Girls' 10th Region Tournament Pairings

The draw for the Girls' 10th Region Tournament was held this morning. The top two teams- Montgomery County and Mason County- ended up in opposite brackets. The tournament will be played in Montgomery County's new gym. Here's the schedule:

Monday
Montgomery County vs. Scott 6:30 p.m.
Harrison County vs. St. Patrick 8:15 p.m.

Tuesday
Bishop Brossart vs. Nicholas County 6:30 p.m.
Mason County vs. Clark County 8:15 p.m.

Friday
Semifinals 6:30 and 8:15 p.m.

Saturday
Championship game 8 p.m.

Girls' All Region Teams

10th Region Coaches Association All Region Teams

1st Team
De’Sarae Chambers- Mason County
Courtney Danis- Montgomery County
Lacey Cline- Mason County
Ladonna Turley- Harrison County
Molly Norton- Bourbon County

2nd Team
Maggie Prewitt- Montgomery County
Erin Carmack- Deming
Natalie Kelsch- Pendleton County
Hillary Butsch- Bishop Brossart
Emily Hinkson- Paris

3rd Team
Cheryl Rutherford- Saint Patrick
Jewel Rogers- Clark County
Nakita Jones- Paris
Kaitlin Steffen- Bishop Brossart
Austina McCaffery- Clark County

Honorable Mention (alphabetical order)
Kiki Brown- Scott
Jenna High- Montgomery County
Katie Kitchen- Campbell County
Kasey Litzinger- Mason County
Ivy Livengood- Bourbon County

Coach of the Year (tie)Terence Brooks of Paris and John High of Montgomery County

Mason County Wins Girls' and Boys' District Titles

The Mason County Lady Royals defeated the St. Patrick Lady Saints 78-63 and the Mason County Royals routed the Augusta Panthers 90-36 in the district finals tonight at The Fieldhouse. Five players scored in double figures for the Lady Royals who won their fifth straight district championship. De'Sarae Chambers led the way with 17 points, Lacey Cline had 15, Megan Reese 12 and Kasey Litzinger and Keller Menke with 10 apiece. Cheryl Rutherford led the Lady Saints with15 points and Emily Brant scored 10.
After leading 28-10 at the end of the first quarter, the Royals scored the first 19 points of the second quarter and outscored the Panthers 23-3 in the quarter. Darius Miller scored 19 points, Trevor Setty 18 and Russ Middleton 14. Jeremy Hardymon was the only Panther in double figures with 12 points. It's the Royals' seventh consecutive district championship and the 30th in school history.

Girls Statistics:

MC FG 46.4% 3 PT FG 30.8% FT 73.3% REB 42 TO 25
ST.P. FG 39% 3 PT FG 38.5% FT 75% REB 32 TO 24

Mason County (20-9) Reese 10, Hale 5, Menke 10, Doyle 2, T. Chambers 9, Litzinger 10, Cline
15, D. Chambers 17
St. Patrick (8-18) Pffefer 5, Parker 2, King 2, Weber 8, Chamberlain 7, Nolder 2, Ch. Payne 7,
Ci. Payne 2, Stahl 3, Brant 10, Rutherford 15

MC 27 13 20 18-78
ST. P 14 13 14 22-63

Boys Statistics:

MC FG 47% 3 PT FG 27.6% FT 66.7% REB 52 TO 15
AHS FG 25% 3 PT FG 18.8% FT 30.4% REB 38 TO 24

Mason County (26-2) Scott 5, Hamm 3, Miller 19, King 6, Setty 18, Browning 2, Thompson 2,
Middleton 14, N. Stahl 4, Tolle 4, Lykins 2, W. Stahl 5, Rice 6
Augusta (12-15) Cummins 4, Kelsch 3, Staggs 5, Hardymon 12, White 4, Mofford 4, Hamilton 4

MC 28 23 19 20-90
AHS 10 03 19 20-36

Lofton Named to NABC All-District Team

Chris Lofton has been named to the NABC Division I All-District Team by the National Asssociation of Basketball Coaches. Lofton was named to the first team in District 7. The All-District teams are selected and voted on by member coaches of the NABC. All-District players are eligible for the NABC Division I All-America teams to be announced at the end of the regular season.

Mason-Dixon Games Saturday in Louisville

The 47th Mason-Dixon games will be held Friday and Saturday at Broadbent Arena in Louisville. Mason County will be among the 155 schools participating in the annual indoor track and field championships. The middle school events begin Friday at 5:15 p.m. The AA division begins Saturday at 8 a.m.
Admission is $5 each day.

10th Region Tournament Qualifiers

The fields are set for the girls' and boys' 10th Region tournaments.
Girls:
37th District-Bishop Brossart and Scott
38th District-Harrison County and Nicholas County
39th District-St. Patrick and Mason County
40th District-Clark County and Montgomery County

Boys:
37th District- Scott and Bishop Brossart
38th District- Harrison County and Deming
39th Dsitrict- Augusta and Mason County
40th District- Clark County and Montgomery County

The championship game of the girls' 39th District Tournament will be played tonight. The other three girls' district tournament championship games will be played tommorrow night. The championship game of the boys' 39th District Tournament is tonight. The boys' 38th and 40th District finals are tomorrow night and the boys'37th District Tournament championship game is Saturday night. Both the champion and the runner-up from each district advance to the
regional tournament.