Lofton Named First Team All SEC by the Coaches

Chris Lofton is a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-SEC First Team in voting by the Southeastern Conference coaches. Lofton averaged 20.8 points per game as a junior last season.
Lofton and his Tennessee Volunteers play their exhibition opener Friday night at home against California University of Pennsylvania. Here is a link for more information about the Preseason All-SEC teams.

Royals Remain 5th in Bluegrasspreps.com Rankings

The Mason County Royals are ranked fifth again this week in the Bluegrasspreps.com Class 3A rankings. The Royals play Greenup County Friday night.

Mason County Girls 5th in Final XC Rankings

The Mason County girls' cross country team is ranked fifth in the final KYtrackXC.com/KTCCCA Class 2A rankings of the season.
The Mason County girls' and boys' teams will compete in the Class 2A Region 5 meet Saturday at Russell. St. Patrick competes in the Class A Region 4 meet at Bath County.

Lofton is a Preseason Candidate for Wooden Award

Chris Lofton is one of the 50 preseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award. Here is a link to the story.

Meet of Champions

The Meet of Champions cross country races were held Saturday in Lexington.
St. Patrick sophomore Sarah Moe finished 11th and St. Patrick freshman Ali Moe was 12th in the girls' Class A race. Mason County had several runners in the girls' and boys' Class 2A races as well as the middle school and 6th grade and under races.

Here are links to the race results:

Girls' Class A

Girls' Class 2A

Boys' Class 2A

Middle School Girls

Middle School Boys

Elementary Girls

Elementary Boys

Here is a press release from Mason County coach Mark Kachler:

The largest cross country race held each year in the state of Kentucky was contested Saturday in Lexington. Over 2,350 runners competed in what is considered the State Championship for 6th grade and under runners as well as Middle School runners. Mason County's girls' Middle School team finished 9th overall in a field of 38 teams. Valerie Rice lead the team with a 13th place finish. Julia Woods also medalled in the race. Raylee Kirkland , Sara Bellingham, Jessica Shotwell, Abbey Huff, Carley Moore, and Renee Stewart rounded out the team standings in a field of 321 runners. Mikal Thackston medalled for the boys middle school team. Other middle school boy competitors were Daniel Appelman, Peyton Moyer, and Dylan Fahey. Mason County had several runners in the 6th grade and under races. Competing for Mason County were Elizabeth Mason, Sierra Anderson, Cara Woods, Monica Shotwell, Lauren Malone, Ashley Batey, Savannah Bothman, Nick Robinson, Alex Robinson, Zach Taylor, Nick Williams, Garrett Appelman, and Daulton Myers. In the Varsity division, the races are contested in three classes just as they are at the Regional meets which begin next week. Mason County's Jim Myers medalled in the Boys AA race finishing 19th overall.Mason County begins the post season next Saturday with regional races at Russell High School. The high school state championship follows the next weekend at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Recruiting News

Here are some recruiting update on local players:

• Mason County senior tight end/defensive end Jackson Tolle was scheduled to visit Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. Former Kentucky tight end Chase Harp, the offensive line coach at Gardner-Webb, invited Tolle visit the school. Here is a link to the school's website.
• Maritime College in Throggs Neck, NY is the latest school to contact Mason County senior offensive tackle Chris Temple. Maritime head coach Clayton Kendrick-Holmes has asked for a video of one of Temple's games. Here is a link to the school's website. Wilmington, Eastern Kentucky, Maryville, Wooster and Thomas More are some of the other schools who have shown an interest in Temple.
• Centre College in Danville is recruiting St. Patrick senior guard Chris Owens. Centre coach James Booker attend a St. Patrick practice last week.

Cox Moves up to 5th on Royals' Career TD Passes List

Richie Cox' three touchdown passes in Mason County's win over Fleming County Friday night moved him into fifth place on the Royals' career touchdown passes list. Here are the top seven:

1. Dustin Grutza 82
2. Justin Walsh 30
3. Harry Lewis 22
4. Brian McDowell 20
5. Richie Cox 18
6. Willie Feldhaus 17
7. Ty Sargent 15

Mason County 28, Fleming County 14

Richie Cox threw three touchdown passes and ran for another touchdown to lead the Mason County Royals to a 28-14 win over the Fleming County Panthers tonight. The Royals overcame three turnovers to get their sixth win of the season. Fleming County was 0 for 4 in the Red Zone in the second half. With the score 21-14, the Panthers' next to last trip to the Red Zone ended with an interception by Scott Brooks. It was his sixth pick of the season. Mason County then drove 72 yards to go up 28-14. The Royals' defense came up with a goal line stand with 1:04 left.
Mason County ran out the clock for the victory on Senior Night. The Royals (6-3) close out the regular season at Greenup County Friday night. Fleming County (4-5) plays Bryan Station in Lexington. Here is the scoring summary:

MC 1st Q 08:28 16-yard pass Cameron Pollitt from Richie Cox (Jessica Batey kick) MC 7, FC 0
MC 1st Q 03:54 31-yard pass Westin Stahl from Richie Cox (Jessica Batey kick) MC 14, FC 0
FC 2nd Q 11:18 6-yard run Jacob Bell (Jacob Bell kick) MC 14, FC 7
MC 2nd Q 04:46 32-yard pass Terrance Breckenridge from Richie Cox (Jessica Batey kick) MC 21, FC 7
FC 3rd Q 03:35 5-yard run Caleb Cannon (Jacob Bell kick) MC 21, FC 14
MC 4th Q 04:48 18-yard run Richie Cox (Jessica Batey kick) MC 28, 14

Mason County Hosts Fleming County

The Mason County Royals host the Flemimg County Panthers Friday night. It's Senior Night for Mason County. Here are some game notes:

• Mason County is 5-3. The Royals lost to Russell 27-26 in overtime last week;
• Fleming County is 4-4. The Panthers have won two straight games including a 41-34 triple overtime victory over West Carter last week;
• Mason County is the number two seed in Class 3A, District 7 and will host West Carter in the first round of the playoffs;
• Fleming County finished fourth in Class 3A, District 6 and will play Breathitt County in Jackson in the first round;
• Fleming County was in District 7 with Mason County when the first draft of the football relalignment was released. The KHSAA granted Fleming County's request to move to District 6;
• Two of the Panthers' three district losses were by a total of 12 points;
• Fleming County leads the series with Mason County 16-14. Mason County has one the last two meetings and 10 of the last 12.

This week's tailgate party is sponsored by U.S. Bank. The menu includes Desha's Chili and cornbread, pimento cheese sandwiches, dessert and drink. The cost is $5 per person.

Royals Drop to 5th in Bluegrasspreps.com Rankings

Mason County dropped one spot to No. 5 in this week's Bluegrasspreps.com Class 3A football rankings.

Lofton Preseason SEC Player of the Year

Tennessee senior guard Chris Lofton has been named the preseason Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in voting by the media. UT is picked to win the SEC. Kentucky is picked to finish second in the Eastern Division. Here is a link to the story.

Coach Gillispie Attends Local Blood Drive

Kentucky basketball coach Billy Gillispie was a donor at the American Red Cross blood drive this morning at Mason County High School. The blood drive, sponsored by the Mason County F.C.C.L.A is open to the public and continues until 6 p.m. in the lobby of The Fieldhouse.
I interviewed Gillispie after he gave blood. He's excited about this year's team, but he's concerned about injuries.

Gabcast! Billy Gillispie #0




I also asked Gillispie about the freshmen class led by McDonald's All American Patrick Patterson

Gabcast! Billy Gillispie #0 - Coach Billy Gillispie

Talks about the freshmen class




The Wildcats play their exhibition opener against Kelly Wells' Pikeville College Tigers Oct. 31 at Rupp Arena.

(Thanks to Terri Lippert for the photo)

Lady Royals XC Team Ranked 5th in State

The Mason County girls cross country team has moved up one spot to No. 5 in the KYtrackXC.com/KTCCCA Class 2A state rankings. That's the highest ranking ever for a Mason County cross country team. Here is a link to the rankings.

Harrison Co 12, Mason County 9 in Frosh Championship

The Harrison County Thorobreds defeated the Mason County Royals 12-9 in the freshmen championship game of the Central Kentucky Conference playoffs tonight. Mason County got the ball first in the overtime and kicked a field goal on fourth down to go up 9-6. Harrison County won by rushing for a touchdown on fourth and goal from the one-yard line.

CKC Championship Freshmen Only Monday

There's been another change in the schedule for the championship games of the Central Kentucky Conference football playoffs. Mason County will host Harrison County Monday at 6 p.m. in the freshmen game only. Harrison County has decided to save its junior varsity players for the varsity game Friday night. That means Mason County is the junior varsity champion.

Area 7 XC Championships

Here is a press release from Mason County Cross Country coach Mark Kachler:


On Saturday at the Area 7 Championships, the Runnin Royals were the dominant program in attendance returning home with 5 out of 6 team trophies, 2 individual champions, and 31 medal places over the 6 races contested.
The Lady Royals started the day off with a girls varsity championship over a field that included #10 ranked Fairview in KHSAA single A. The girls team beat Fairview 29 points to 52 with Russell third at 87. The girls team was lead by 8th grader, Valerie Rice (21:45) who finished 2nd overall. Samantha Grayson and Blaine Menke finished 5th and 7th respectively and all three earned 1st team All Area 7 honors. Rachel White was 11th , Iretta Carpenter 13th and Alexi Loving 14th each earned 2nd team All Area 7 honors. St Patricks Ali Mo 4th , and Sara Moe 6th also earned 1st team All Area 7 honors. Fleming County’s Kayla Brown 16th and Kelsey Dillon 17th, were selected second team All Area 7 girls varsity. Fleming County finished 6th as a team and Lewis County was 7th.
In the boys varsity race the Mason Country Royals placed third and were lead by Jim Meyers 8th (18:24) who was named 1st team Area 7. Connor Appelman 15th and Braun Applegate 19th were named second team All Area 7. Ashland won the boys varsity race and Russell was second. Lewis County finished 6th and Fleming County was 8th.
In the Middle School race Julia Woods and Mikal Thackston of Mason County each won their races and by winning are the Middle School Female and Male Runner of the Year for Area 7. Both lead their teams to 1st place finishes. Raylee Kirkland, Sara Bellingham, Jessica Shotwell and Abby Huff all finished in the top 10 and were 1st team All Area 7 selections. Carlee Moore and Renee Stewart were medallist and were named second team All Area 7 for Mason County. In The boys race Daniel Appelman and Nathaniel Grayson finished in the top 10 and were first team All Area 7 with Peyton Moyer being named second team All Area 7 for Mason County.
The 6th grade and under races saw Mason County bring home second place team trophies in both the girls and boys races. Elizabeth Mason (4th), Sierrra Anderson (7th) and Cara Woods (9th) were 1st Team All Area 7, Savannah Bothman was named 2nd Team All Area 7 for the Lady Royals. In the boys race twin bothers Nick and Alex Robinson (5th & 6th) were 1st team All Area 7, Zach Taylor (12th), Garrett Appelman (15th), and Daulton Myers (17th) were named 2nd Team All Area 7.
The Mason County Varsity squads will next run on Thursday at the Harrison County Invitational. The Middle School and 6th and under teams will finish their seasons this Saturday in Lexington at the State Championships for each age division.

Mason County vs. Russell Game Statistics

Here is a link to the statistics for the Mason County vs. Russell game from the Russell Football web page.

Russell 27, Mason County 26 OT

The Russell Red Devils edged the Mason County Royals 27-26 in overtime in front of a standing room only crowd tonight at Mason County to secure the number one seed in the district.
Russell got the ball first in overtime and took a 27-20 lead. Mason County a touchdown on a one-yard run by Richie Cox. The Royals tried for a two-point conversion, but the pass was incomplete.
Mason County took a 13-0 lead in the first half. Russell then scored 20 straight points. Mason County tied the game at 20-20 with 4:17 left in regulation. Mason County safety Ryan Foley intercepted a pass near midfield and returned the ball to the Russell 14 yard line with 26 seconds to play. On the next play, Cox was sacked for a 10-yard loss. After a one-yard run by Cameron Pollittt, Mason County sent in the field goal unit and Jordan Gilbert's 40-yard attempt fell just short as time expired.
Russell junior halfback Drew Abrams rushed for more than 200 yards and scored two touchdowns.
The win gives Russell home field advantage in the first three rounds of the playoffs. Mason County is the number two seed in the district and will host West Carter in the first round of the playoffs. If Mason County and Russell win their first round games, the rematch will be played at Russell. Mason County still has two regular seasons to play, including the Senior Night game against Fleming County Friday night.
Here is the scoring summary:

Mason 1st Q 06:53 18-yard pass Jackson Tolle from Richie Cox (Jessica Batey kick) MC 7, R 0
Mason 2nd Q 04:44 11-yard run Cameron Pollitt (Jessica Batey kick missed) MC 13, R 0
Russell 2nd Q 00:38 8-yard run Drew Abrams (Jason Dolly kick) MC 13, R 7
Russell 3rd Q 08:24 4-yard run Tyler Jones (run failed) MC 13, R 13
Russell 3rd Q 02:14 1-yard run Adam Bates (Jason Dolly kick) R 20, Mc 13
Mason 4th Q 04:17 11-yard run Richie Cox (Jessica Batey kick) MC 20, R 20
Russell OT 5-yard run Drew Abrams (Jason Dolly kick) R 27, MC 20
Mason OT 1-yard run Richie Cox (pass failed) R 27, MC 26

It's Game Day

For the first time since 2002, the Mason County Royals play the Russell Red Devils in a district football game tonight. This is the game players and fans have been looking forward to all season.
The winner of tonight's game gets the number one seed in the district and home field advantage in the first three rounds of the playoffs. If there are no upsets in the first round of the playoffs, Mason County and Russell will meet in the second round for the district title.

Tailgate Party

Tonight's tailgate party is sponsored by Citizens Deposit Bank. The menu includes pork tenderloin, green been cassserole, dessert and drink. The cost is $5. The tailgate party is from 5:30 to 6:45.

Alumni to Form Tunnel

Former Mason County and Maysville players and coaches are urged to go out on the field and form a tunnel for the Royals to run through as they take the field. The tunnel will begin in the endzone. The cheerleaders will be at the other end of the tunnel with a banner for the players to brust through.


Game notes



In this week's Class 3A statistics compiled by the KHSAA:

• Russell is 3rd and Mason County is 7th in scoring;


• Mason County is 5th and Russell is 12th in scoring defense;


• Russell is 4th and Mason County is 5th in scoring margin;


• Russell is 6th and Mason County is 9th in rushing;


• Russell is 4th and Mason County is 14th in rushing defense;


• Mason County is 12th in passing;


• Mason County is 12th in passing defense;

Russell leads the series 11-2. Mason County won in 1997 and 2001;

Last week's win over Bourbon County was the 150th victory in the history of the Mason County football program;

Russell head coach Ivan McGlone picked up his 300th career win two weeks ago;

Russell played in the Class 2A state championship game the past two years. The Red Devils beat Owensboro Catholic 27-14 in 2005 and lost to Mercer County 15-12 last season.

Lady Royals Up to 6th in XC Rankings

The Mason County Lady Royals moved up two spots to No. 8 in the KYtracKXC.com/KTCCCA Class 2A Cross Country rankings. Mason County 7th grader Julia Woods is 20th in the individual rankings.

Mason County Hosts Russell in District Showdown

The top seed in the district and home field advantage in the first three rounds of the playoffs will be on the line when the Mason County Royals (5-2) host the Russell Red Devils (7-1) Friday night. Both teams are 3-0 in district games and this is the final district game of the season. Here is how the two teams stack up on statistics:

Scoring

Russell 40.5, Opponents 21.1

Mason County 34.3, Opponents 15.6

First Downs Per Game

Russell 16.9, Opponents 16.3

Mason County 15.2, Opponents 13.4

Rushing Yards Per Game

Russell 275.1, Opponents 104.4

Mason County 205.3, Opponents 152

Passing Yards Per Game

Russell 85.4, Opponents 172.5

Mason County 111.1, Opponents 119.7

Total Offense Per Game

Russell 360.5, Opponents 276.9

Mason County 316.4, Opponents 271.7

Third Down Conversions

Russell 38/71 53.5%, Opponents 42/99 42.4%

Mason County 27/58 46.6%, Opponents 24/77 31.2%

Fourth Down Conversions

Russell 10/14 71.4%, Opponents 7/19 36.8%

Mason County 9/15 60%, Opponents 7/19 36.8%

Red Zone Chances

Russell 30/33 90.9%, Opponents 17/23 73.9%

Mason County 23/27 85%, Opponents 10/15 66.7%

Turnover Margin

Russell +7

Mason County +11

Schedule Change for CKC Championship Games

There's been a change in the schedule for the freshmen and junior varsity football championship games of the Central Kentucky Conference. Both games will be played Monday - the freshmen game at 6 p.m. followed by the junior varsity game. Mason County plays Harrison County in both games.

Saints Blanked In Region Semifinals

The St. Patrick Saints lost to the Clark County Cardinals 3-0 last night in the semifinals of the
12th Region soccer tournament. Clark County led 1-0 at halftime. St. Patrick ends the season with a 13-6-1 record. Coach Philip Mauney says the six seniors- Casey Baldwin, Chris Owens, John Stwarka, Bob Pfeffer, Nick Anderson and Daniel Mellenkamp all had a great season.
Mauney says he's very proud of the team this year.

Royals 4th, Russell 5th in Bluegrasspreps.com Rankings

The Mason County Royals remain at No. 4 in the Bluegrasspreps.com Class 3A Football Rankings. The Russell Red Devils are ranked fifth. Mason County hosts Russell Friday night.

Lady Saints Lose in Volleyball Regional

The St. Patrick Lady Saints lost to the Montgomery County lady Indians 2-1 in the first round of the 10th Region Volleyball Tournament last night. The scores were 21-25, 25-20 and 25-19. St. Patrick ends the season with an 11-13 record.

CKC Playoffs

The semifinals of the Central Kentucky Conference freshmen and junior varsity football playoffs were held last night. In the freshmen games, Mason County defeated Bourbon County, and Harrison County beat Montgomery County. In junior varsity action, Mason County was a winner over Bourbon County. The championship games will be played next week. Mason County will host Harrison County in both games. The junior varsity game will kickoff at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22. The freshmen game will be played Thursday, Oct. 25. The start time has not been set.

Former Players to Form Tunnel at Russell-Mason County Game

All former Mason County and Maysville football players attending the Russell at Mason County game Friday night are asked to form a tunnel for the Royals to run through as they take the field. The tunnel will begin at the endzone. The cheerleaders will be at the end of the tunnel. The Royals will run through the tunnel at 7:25. Kickoff is at 7:30.

Region 12 Soccer Tournament Pairings

The boys' Region 12 Soccer Tournament begins Tuesday night at Pendleton County. Here is the schedule:

Tuesday
Pendleton County vs. Montgomery County 6 pm.
Clark County vs. St. Patrick 8 p.m.

Thursday
Championship game 7 p.m.

Lady Royals XC Competes at Lexington Catholic

The Mason County girls' cross country team competed in the Lexington Catholic Invitational Saturday. Here is a press release from coach Mark Kachler:

In a season of firsts for the Mason County Lady Royals cross country team, Saturday’s results from the prestigious Lexington Catholic Invitational may just have been the most impressive. Competing in a field of 180 runners that consisted of the best in the A and AA divisions the Lady Royals finished 8th out of 24 teams and in the process defeated Regional rival #5 Highlands for the first time in school history. The Lady Royals also bested #3 ranked Spencer County, #4 ranked Warren East as well as 7 other top ranked teams in the two divisions of KHSAA cross country. The Lady Royals were lead by 8th grader Valerie Rice (21:09). "The girls ran another tight pack. That is becoming our trademark this season. We are using a great team approach to achieve the success we have had this year. This meet is considered one of the top 3 regular season meets each year. 16 of the top 20 ranked teams in A and AA were here today. " stated coach Kachler. Julia Woods ( 21:17 ), Samantha Grayson (21:42 ), Raylee Kirkland (21:54 ), Blaine Menke (22:12), Alexi Loving (22:48 ), and Rachel White (22:55) rounded out the top 7 for Mason County. Sara Bellingham (23:34), Iretta Carpenter (24:14), and Jessica Shotwell (25:10) also ran for the Lady Royals on Saturday.
The Runnin Royals see action at the Area 7 championships next Saturday at Fairview High School.

Saints Lose to Pendleton County in District Finals

The St. Patrick Saints lost to the Pendleton County Wildcats 3-1 tonight in the championship game of the 23rd District boys' soccer tournament at Grant County. John Stwarka scored the Saints' goal. Chris Owens, Nick Anderson and Edward Jimenez were named to the All Tournament Team. St. Patrick will play Clark County in the regional tournament Tuesday night at Pendleton County.

Mason County 28, Bourbon County 12

The Mason County Royals scored a touchdown in each quarter in a 28-12 road win over the Bourbon County Colonels tonight. Richie Cox ran for a touchdown and threw a touchdown pass to Cameron Pollitt. Pollitt also ran for a touchdown. Tailback Jeremy Thompson rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown. Mason County had 370 yards of total offense (285 rushing and 85 passing). Bourbon County had 191 total yards (108 rushing and 83 passing). The Colonels scored both of their touchdowns in the fourth qaurter. Mason County (5-2) hosts Russell Friday night.
Here is the scoring summary:

Mason 1st Q 08:12 25 yard pass Cameron Pollitt from Richie Cox (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 7, BC 0
Mason 2nd Q 09:03 2 yard run Richie Cox ( Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 14, BC 0
Mason 3rd Q 0:850 1 yard run Jeremy Thompson (Jordan Gilbert kick) MC 21, BC 0
Mason 4th Q 07:07 21 yard run Cameron Pollitt (Jessica Batey kick) MC 28, BC 0
Bourbon 4th Q 04:15 45 yard pass Lucas Yaste from Taylor Barnes (kick miss) MC 28, BC 6
Bourbon 4th Q 00:12 12 yard pass Dee Allen from Taylor Barnes (kick miss) MC 28, BC 12

Lady Royals Lose in District Semis

The Mason County Lady Royals lost to the Pendleton County Lady Wildcats 2-1 last night in the semifinals of the 23rd District girls' soccer tournament. All of the scoring took place in the first half. Jessica Batey scored Mason County's goal. The Lady Royals end the season with a 14-3-1 record.

Saints Win, Advance to Distric Finals

The St. Patrick Saints edged the Grant County Braves 2-1 in overtime tonight in the semifinals of the 23rd District boys' soccer tournament. The game was tied 1-1 at the end of the regulation. Nick Anderson scored both goals for the Saints. St. Patrick will play Pendleton County in the championship game Friday at 6 p.m. at Grant County.

Mason County at Bourbon County Friday Night

After an open date last week, the Mason County Royals travel to Paris Friday night to play the Bourbon County Colonels. Here are some game notes:

• Mason County is 4-2. The Royals are 3-0 on the road this season;
• Despite having six turnovers in the loss to Campbell County, the Royals have a turnover margin of +13;
• Mason County has scored (all touchdowns) on 21 of 23 red zone opportunities;
• Bourbon County, a Class 4A team, is 1-5. The Colonels have lost 38 of their last 39 games. Bourbon County snapped a 34-game losing streak with a 28-6 win over West Jessamine Sept. 7;
• Former Bourbon County star Rick Massie is in his second season as the Colonels' head coach. Massie played wide receiver for the University of Kentucky from 1981 to 1983 and the Denver Broncos in 1987 and 1998;
• Bourbon County leads the series with Mason County 5-0. The two schools played each other five straight seasons from 1982 to 1986. In the 1983 game, Bourbon County led 42-7 at halftime. Royals tailback Shane Fletcher scored five touchdowns in the second half in a 49-37 loss. One of the touchdowns was on an 80-yard pass from Chris O'Hearn;

Walton-Verona Edges Lady Saints in District Soccer Tourney

The St. Patrick Lady Saints lost to the Walton-Verona Lady Bearcats 1-0 in the semi-finals of the 23rd District soccer tournament. Walton-Verona scored in the second sudden-victory overtime period. St. Patrick ends the season with a 9-6 record.

Lady Saints Lose in Volleyball District Finals

The St. Patrick Lady Saints lost to the Harrison County Fillies 2-0 in the championship game of the 38th District volleyball tournament last night. The scores were 23-25 and 15-25. Both teams advance to the 10th Region tournament.

Stingrays in Excel In Long Course Summer Season

Several members of the Limestone YMCA Stingrays swim team finished in the Kentucky Top 20 times in the long course summer season. They include: Titus Barker, Nicholas Nelson, Ty Alderman, Alexa Danner, Myrlot Silva, Elizabeth Moss, Kelsey Dillon, Caitlin Ross, Haley Conrad and Morgan Cyrus. Here is a link to the Kentucky Swimming Top 20 Times. In the left hand column, click on State Qualifiers for the age 9 and up times. Click on Age 8 and under for those times.

Lady Royals ranked 8th, Woods 15th in XC

The Mason County Lady Royals remain at number 8 in the KytrackXC.com/KTCCCA girls' Class 2A rankings. Mason County seventh grader Julia Woods moved up one spot to 15th in the individual rankings.

Royals Still 4th in Bluegrasspreps.com Rankings

The open date last week did nothing to hurt Mason County in the Bluegrasspreps.com Class 3A Football Rankings. The Royals remain at number four.

Lady Saints Advance to Finals of District Volleyball Tourney

The St. Patrick Saints defeated the Deming Black Devils two games to one last night in the semi-finals of the 38th District volleyball tournament. The Lady Saints won the first game 25-16, lost the second game 14-25, and won the third game 25-21. St. Patrick plays the Harrison County Fillies in the championship game tonight at 7 o'clock at Harrison County.

Mason County All-Comers #2 XC Meet

Mason County won the girls' race and finished second in the boys' race last night at the
Mason County All-Comers #2 cross country meet. Valarie Rice led the Lady Royals with a third place finish in a time of 21:00. Mason County runners Julia Woods, Samantha Grayson, Rachel White, Raylee Kirkland and Blaine Menke finished in 5th through 10th places. Amirita Srinivasan of St. Patrick had a 12th place finish. Four Mason County athletes finished in the top 10 of the boys' race- Jim Meyers 4th (17:52), Braun Applegate 7th, Connor Appelman 9th and Nathan Woods 10th. In the mixed 3K run, Renee Stewart of Mason County was the girls' winner, and Nick Robinson was the boys' winner. In the mixed 1600 meter run, Elizabeth Mason of Mason County was the girls' winner, and Alex Robinson of Mason County was the boys' winner.

Allison Poe 15th in Best of the U.S.

Allison Poe of Maysville finished 15th in the Best of the U.S. Amateur Triathlete Competition Saturday in Winter Haven, Florida. Poe had a time of 2:20:15. She qualified for the national event by winning the Buffalo Trails Triathlon in May.

CKC Football Week Six

The Mason County freshmen and junior varsity football teams both picked up wins over Montgomery County last night in the Central Kentucky Conference. The freshmen won
21-0 and the junior varsity posted a 34-22 victory. In the semi-finals of the conference playoffs, Mason County hosts Bourbom County and Montgomery County plays at Harrison County.

Lady Royals Blank Grant County District 1st Round

The Mason County Lady Royals shutout the Grant County Lady Braves 6-0 last night in the first round of the 23rd District girls' soccer tournament at Grant County. Holly Moulis and Carolyn Morris each scored a goal in the first half, and Jessica Batey scored four goals in the second half. Caitlin Cox had two assists. Rebecca Batey, Ashley DeAtley and Carolyn Morris each had one assist. The Lady Royals play Pendleton County in the semi-finals Thursday at 8 p.m.

Royals Lose 1-0 in Shootout

The Mason County Royals lost to the Grant County Braves 1-0 in a shootout in the opening game of the 23rd District boys' soccer tournament tonight at Grant County. The two teams were scoreless through regulation, two 10-minute overtime periods and two five-minute sudden-victory overtime periods. Mason County ends the season with a 4-10-2 record. Grant County advances to play St. Patrick in the semi-finals Thursday at 6 p.m.

Murray has 11 Tackles in Army's OT Win

Senior free safety Jordan Murray had a game-high 11 tackles (five solo and six assists) in Army's 20-17 overtime win over Tulane Saturday night. Murray leads Army in solo tackles with 36 and is second in total tackles with 49. The Black Knights (2-3) play at Central Michigan Saturday.

District Volleyball Tournament

The 38th District volleyball tournament begins Monday evening at Harrison County. Here is a link to the bracket.

District Soccer Tournaments

The boys' and girls' 23rd District soccer tournaments begin Monday night at Grant County. Here are links to the brackets:

Boys

Girls

Local Players on TV Saturday

Fans of former Mason County teammates Jordan Murray and Dustin Grutza might want to have the TV remote handy Saturday night. Army, with Murray at free safety, hosts Tulane at 7 p.m. The game is on ESPNU. Then at 8 p.m., it's Cincinnati at Rutgers on ESPN2. Grutza is the backup quarterback (and sometimes-starter) for Cincinnati.

Saints 3, Blue Jays 0

The St. Patrick Saints closed out the regular season with a 3-0 win over the Ripley Blue Jays tonight in Ripley. John Stwarka, Edward Jimenez and Daniel Yeary each scored a goal. Nick Anderson had two assists. The Saints head to the district tournament with a record of 12-4-1.

Weekly Football Statistics

The KHSAA has released the weekly Class 3A football statistics. Mason County is

• 5th in scoring (35.3 ppg)
• 7th in scoring defense (16.2 ppg)
• 5th in scoring margin (19.1)
• 12th in rushing (195.2 ypg)
• 12th in rushing defense (195.2 ypg)
• 11th in passing (109.3 ypg)
• 14th in passing defense (125.7 ypg)

Royals quarterback Richie Cox is 12th in passing (108 ypg), and running backs Jeremy Thompson and Cameron Pollitt are listed tied for 15th in scoring (8 ppg). Both should be listed higher- Thompson has scored 48 points in four games, not six games, and Pollitt has scored nine touchdowns, instead of eight.

Royals Still 4th in Bluegrasspreps.com Rankings

The Mason County Royals remain 4th in the Bluegrasspreps.com Class 3A Football Rankings.
Mason County (4-2) has an open date this week. The Royals play at Bourbon County Oct. 5.
The next home game is Oct. 12 against Russell.

Lady Royals Slip to 8th in XC Rankings

The Mason County Lady Royals slipped two spots to number 8 in this week's KYtrackXC.com/KTCCCA Class 2A Cross Country Rankings.

Lady Royals 9, Lady Dragons 0

The Mason County Lady Royals celebrated Senior Night with a 9-0 win over the West Union Lady Dragons tonight. Jessica Batey had a hat trick and an assist. Caitlin Cox had two goals and two assists. Carolyn Morris, Liza Dobson, Courtney Rosser and Becca Wallingford each scored a goal. Taylor Sargent and Rebecca Batey each had an assist. The Lady Royals finished the regular season with a record 0f 13-2-1.

Bourbon County 3, St. Patrick 1

The St. Patrick Saints lost to the Bourbon County Colonels 3-1 tonight in Paris. Bourbon County led 3-0 at halftime. Nick Anderson scored the Saints' goal on an assist by Edward Jimenez.
The Saints close out the regular season Thursday night at Ripley.

Soccer Stats

In the weekly soccer statistics compiled by the KHSAA, the Mason County Lady Royals are

• First in scoring (5.3 gpg)
• First in scoring margin (4.8 gpg)
• Second in defense (0.5 gpg)

Jessica Batey of Mason County is tied for third in scoring (2.3 gpg). Mason County goalkeeper Chelsie Porter is 10th in goals against (0.5 gpg) and fourth in shutouts with 10.

The St. Patrick Saints are

• Tied for ninth in scoring (4.0 gpg)
• Tied for 13th in scoring margin (2.5 gpg)

Chris Owens of St. Patrick is tied for seventh in scoring (1.2 gpg). Edward Jimenez is tied for third in assists (1.0 apg). St. Patrick goalkeeper Stephen Mason is tied for ninth in shutouts with six.

Russ Middleton Verbally Commits to Georgetown College

Mason County junior guard Russ Middleton has verbally committed to Georgetown College.
Middleton had drawn interest from several Division I schools including Wright State, Western Kentucky and David Lipscomb, but he says Georgetown is pretty much where he knew he wanted to go all along.
Middleton will be a second generation Tiger. His father, Kelly Middleton, played at Georgetown College in the 1980's. Mason County boys' basketball coach Chris O'Hearn also played at Georgetown College.
Middleton is the third Mason County basketball player to make a verbal committment this school year. Darius Miller announced he will attend Kentucky and De'Sarae Chambers verbally committed to Dayton.

CKC Football

The Mason County junior varsity football team defeated Bourbon County 21-0 last night.
Bourbon County did not field a freshman team last night, so Mason County wins by forfeit.
Here are the records and points allowed through five weeks of play:

Mason County 8-2 (110)
Harrison Couny 7-3 (95)
Montgomery County 5-5 (201)
Bourbon County 0-10 (189)

Lady Royals 9, Lady Comets 0

The Mason County Lady Royals shutout the West Carter Lady Comets 9-0 last night.
Jessica Batey scored four goals, Rebecca Batey had a hat trick, and Ashley DeAtley and Caitlin Cox each scored a goal. Rebecca Batey, Alyssa Davis and Caitlin Cox each had an assist. The Lady Royals host West Union on Senior Night as part of a girl-boy doubleheader. The girls' game is first at 5:30.

Murray Scores TD in Army Win

Army free safety Jordan Murray recovered a fumble in the end zone for his first collegiate touchdown in the Black Knights' 37-21 win over Temple Saturday. Murray had four tackles (two solo and two assists). Murray is a 2004 graduate of Mason County High School.