Mason Co. Freshmen Girls Beat Campbell Co.

Taylor Allen scored 13 points to lead the Mason County freshmen girls' team to a 43-17 win over Campbell County last night. The Lady Royals (2-0) play at Clark County Tuesday night.

Lady Royals Roster

The Mason County Lady Royals open the season tonight at 8 o'clock in the Mountain Dew Shootout at The Fieldhouse. Here is the Lady Royals' roster:

40 De'Sarae Chambers 5-9 Sr.
32 Lacey Cline 5-7 Sr.
31 Kasey Litzinger 5-8 Sr.
21 Keller Menke 5-9 So.
22 Hillary Doyle 5-9 So.
33 Beth Queen 5-9 So.
15 Bridgett Morris 5-5 9th
10 Faith Weddle 5-6 9th
34 Whitney Allen 5-8 9th
14 Bailey Menke 5-7 8th
24 Kaitlyn Smith 5-7 8th
42 Kiara Gibbs 5-6 8th
11 Alicia Moore 5-7 8th

Lady Saints Roster

The St. Patrick Lady Saints open the season tonight at 6:30 in the Mountain Dew Shootout at The Fieldhouse. Here is the Lady Saints' roster:

15 Beth Nolder Sr.
32 Leslie Pfeffer Jr.
12 Chelsie Weber Jr.
14 Cora Chamberlain Jr.
10 Molly Parker Jr.
3 Anne Klee So.
21 Chrisma Payne So.
22 Ciera Payne So.
30 Liz Gruen So.
35 Mary Gruen Fr.
11 Hannah Zurbach Fr.
20 Brooke Mosler Fr.
24 Libby Mason Fr.
13 Chelsea Douglas 8th
31 Allison Tolle 8th
25 Morgan Swolsky 8th
4 Allison Mckay 8th
2 Lydia Hamilton 8th

Top-Ranked Royals Open the Season Tomorrow Night

The top-ranked Mason County Royals open the season tomorrow night against Bryan Station in the Mr. Basketball Classic at Tates Creek in Lexington. Here is the Royals' roster:

21 Darius Miller 6-7 215 Sr.
22 Ethan King 6-3 165 Sr.
24 Trevor Setty 6-7 180 Sr.
30 Drew Lykins 6-2 195 Sr.
42 Jackson Tolle 6-2 215 Sr.
5 Mandela Rice 5-9 160 Jr.
10 Terrance Breckenridge 5-11 165 Jr.
11 Westin Stahl 6-10 165 Jr.
15 Ryan Hamm 5-9 155 Jr.
31 Jeremy Thompson 5-10 195 Jr.
33 Russ Middleton 6-3 1/2 180 Jr.
43 Keith Downing 6-2 165 Jr.
52 Phil Barner 6-5 170 So.
32 Justin Lang 5-8 145 So.
3 Ryne King 5-9 140 So.
45 Colt Fearis 6-2 165 So.
34 Bradley Lang 6-1 155 So.
51 Rheuben Bluford 6-54 175 So.
35 Treg Setty 6-5 170 Fr.
23 Neal Pawsat 6-2 185 Fr.
20 Jordan Gilbert 5-9 145 Fr.

Brooks Owns School Record for Interceptions

Mason County senior cornerback Scott Brooks broke the single-season school record for interceptions with eight this season. Three players- Chris Lofton, Tee Commodore and Tony Browning-had shared the record with six picks. Lofton had six interceptions in two different season (2001 and 2003). Lofton holds the school record for career interceptions with 17. Commodore is second with 13. Brooks, Corey Jett and Seth Faulkner are tied for third place on the all-time list. They each had nine interceptions.

Lofton Scores 24 Points in UT Win

Chris Lofton scored 24 points on eight three-pointers to lead the Tennessee Volunteers to a
93-59 win over North Carolina A&T last night. Lofton was 8-of-20 on three-pointers breaking his own school record for attempts in a game. Lofton tied his career-high with five steals, moving him into sixth place on UT's all-time steals list with 156.

Saints Win Opener

Stephen Mason scored a game-high 21 points to lead the St. Patrick Saints to a season-opening 66-59 victory over the St. Henry Cursaders tonight. Chris Owens and Nick Anderson scored 14 points apiece. It was the final broadcast for Saints' play-by-play announcer Philip Hay who is getting out of radio. I've enjoyed working with Philip and I wish him well.

Saints Open the Season Tonight

The St. Patrick Saints open the season tonight at home against St. Henry. Here is St. Patrick's roster:

3 Nick Anderson 6-2 166 Sr.
4 Matt Thompson 6-3 170 Jr.
5 Andy Clarke 6-2 150 Jr.
10 Stephen Mason 6-3 175 So.
11 Daniel Yeary 5-9 125 Fr.
12 Cody Jodrey 5-9 125 So.
14 Nick Cropper 6-0 145 Jr.
15 Daniel Strode 6-0 168 Jr.
20 Darby Gallenstein 6-0 160 Jr.
21 Chadwick Thomas 6-0 150 So.
22 Chris Owens 6-3 170 Sr.
23 Cody Burton 5-9 130 So.
24 Lee Gallenstein 6-2 175 So.
43 Flynn Ashley 6-2 190 Jr.
51 Michael Mercer 6-2 190 Jr.

Mason County Freshmen Girls Win OpenerTh

The Mason County freshmen girls' won their season opener over Bourbon County 32-28 last night. Alicia Moore led the Lady Royals with 10 points. Mason County's next game is Thursday night at home against Campbell County.

Mason County No. 1 in Bluegrasspreps.com Rankings

The Mason County Royals are ranked number one in the Blugrasspreps.com pre-season rankings. Here is a link to the rankings.

Mason County Highlight DVDs On Sale

Mason County Football has four different highlight DVDs on sale:

• Highlights of the 1996-2002 seasons are on one DVD for $20.
• The 2003 Highlights DVD, $10
• The 2004/2005 highlights on one DVD, $10
• The 2007 Highlights DVD will be available at the banquet Dec. 11 for $10.

DVDs can be purchased at the high school or by e-mailing Coach Buchanan at David.Buchanan@Mason.kyschools.us.

Mason County Boys Freshmen Schedule

The Mason County boys' freshmen basketball team, under first-year coach Jerry Butler, opens the season tonight at Lexington Catholic. Here is the schedule:

Nov. 26 Lexington Catholic Away 6:00
Nov. 29 Harrison County Home 6:00
Dec. 3 Clark County Away 7:30
Dec. 5 Pendleton County Away 7:30
Dec. 10 Fleming County Away 6:30
Dec. 13 Bourbon County Home 6:00
Dec. 15 Lexington Catholic Tournament Away TBA
Dec. 17 Bracken County Away 6:30
Dec. 27 Covington Catholic Tournament Away TBA
Dec. 28 Covington Catholic Tournament Away TBA
Jan. 3 Fleming County Home 6:00
Jan. 7 Lexington Catholic Home 6:00
Jan. 10 Montgomery County Away 6:30
Jan. 14 Harrison County Away 6:30
Jan. 17 Clark County Home 6:00
Jan. 21 Bourbon County Away 7:00
Jan. 24 Montgomery County Home 6:00
Jan. 28 Bracken County Home 6:00
Jan. 30 Pendleton County Home 6:00
Feb. 2 District Tournament TBA

Several Stingrays Ranked

Several members of the Stingrays USA Swimmers are ranked in the state's Top 20.
Here is a link to the rankings. Click on the age groups on the left side of the web page.
The USA swimmers will be competing this weekend at St. Xavier High School, in the Keating Natatorium, in the The Cincinnati Marlins' "Kast-A-Way Swimwear" Winter Invitational.

All Area 7 Cross Country Teams

The All Area 7 cross country teams have been announced. Mason County 7th grader Julia Woods is the All Area 7 Middle School Girls' Runner of the Year. Mason County 8th grader Mikal Thackston is the All Area 7 Middle School Boys' Runner of the Year. Mason County Coach Mark Kachler received three All Area 7 Coach of the Year awards- Girls' Varsity, Middle School Boys' and Middle School Girls'. Here is a list of the local runners on the All Area 7 teams:

Girls' Varsity First Team
Valerie Rice, Mason County
Ali Moe, St. Patrick
Samantha Grayson, Mason County
Sarah Moe St. Patrick
Blaine Menke, Mason County

Girls' Varsity Second Team
Rachel White, Mason County
Iretta Carpenter, Mason County
Alexi Loving, Mason County
Kayla Brown, Fleming County
Kelsey Dillon, Fleming County

Boys' Varsity First Team
Jim Meyers, Mason County

Boys' Varsity Second Team
Connor Appelman, Mason County
Braun Applegate, Mason County

Girls' Middle School First Team
Julia Woods, Mason County
Raylee Kirkland, Mason County
Sarah Bellingham, Mason County
Jessica Shotwell, Mason County
Abby Huff, Mason County

Girls' Middle School Second Team
Carley Moore, Mason County
Renee Stewart, Mason County

Boys Middle School First Team
Mikal Thackston, Mason County
Daniel Appelman, Mason County
Nathaniel Grayson, Mason County

Boys Middle School Second Team
Peyton Moyer, Mason County

Girls' 6th Grade and Under First Team
Elizabeth Mason, Mason County
Sierra Anderson, Mason County
Cara Woods, Mason County

Girls' 6th Grade and Under Second Team
Savannah Bothman, Mason County

Boys' 6th Grade and Under First Team
Nick Robinson, Mason County
Alex Robinson, Mason County

Boys' 6th Grade and Under Second Team
Zach Taylor, Mason County
Jacob Tompkins, Mason County
Garrett Appelman, Mason County
Nick Williams, Mason County
Daulton Myers, Mason County

Miller Scores 41 in Scrimmage

Darius Miller scored 41 points in Mason County's scrimmage against University Heights at
Sheldon Clark last night. UHA standout Scotty Hopson scored 17 points. Mason County opens the season Friday night against Bryan Station at Tates Creek.

Lofton Scores 18, but Vols Lose to Texas

Chris Lofton scored a team-high 18 points, but the Tennessee Volunteers suffered their first loss of the season last night. Texas routed Tennessee 97-78 in the championship game of the
Stub Hub! Legends Classic in Newark, NJ. Lofton was 5-of-10 from the field including 4-0f-8 on three-point shots. He was 4-0f-4 from the free throw line. Lofton was named to the
All-Tournament Team. Tennessee hosts North Carolina A&T Tuesday night.

Coach and Super Fan Jack Condon Dies

I'm saddened to write that my friend, Jack Condon, died last night. Condon was a volunteer basketball coach and a huge fan of the game. Long before the Limestone Family YMCA was built and traveling teams became the rage, Jack's basketball court in the alley behind Walnut Street was the place local players honed their skills. The late Pat Moore started a three-on-three tournament at Jack's that eventually grew into the Dirt Bowl League at Rotary Park. Jack helped many local players get better by teaching them the fundamentals. Jay Gast, Brian Simpson and Angie Garrett are just three of the players who come to mind. Jack taught players how to shoot using the acronym "Beef"- Balance, Eyes on the Basket, Elbows in, Follow through. Jack told Mike Reitz about "Beef" when Reitz coached at Maysville. Jack told me that a few years ago when he ran into Reitz at The Fieldhouse, Reitz mentioned "Beef" to Jack. Condon also went to the local gyms and helped with the St. Patrick boys' and girls' teams and the Mason County Lady Royals over the years. Condon and retired coach Leon Willett could often be spotted "coaching" from the bleachers at the Lady Royals' games. Not even Jack could help me become a basketball player, but he did play a big role in my development as a play-by-play announcer. When I worked the early shift at WFTM on Sundays, Jack would come to the radio station after early Mass at St. Patrick. We would talk basketball and he would provide constructive criticism of my early play-by-play work. He loved to listen to the games and he would let me know what I needed to do to improve. Again, it was the fundamentals- give the time and score often, tell which player got the rebound and what team he was on, don't just use the team's nicknames because fans might not know who's who. No matter how big a blowout I was calling, I knew Jack was listening, and if I wasn't up to par, he would let me know. I've remembered that throughout my career, and I know that's made me a better broadcaster. I've not only lost a faithful listener, I've lost a friend.

Lofton Scores 19 to Lead Vols to Win

Chris Lofton scored 19 points to lead the Tennessee Volunteers to a 74-72 win over the West Virginia Mountaineers last night in the semifinals of the Stub Hub! Legends Classic in Newark, NJ. Lofton also had four rebounds and three steals. Tennessee (5-0) plays Texas tonight in the championship game.

Future Wildcats Featured in Scrimmage at Fieldhouse

In a scrimmage featuring future Kentucky Wildcats Darius Miller and Dakota Euton, the Mason County Royals hosted the Rose Hill Royals this afternoon. Miller, a 6-7 senior swingman for Mason County has signed to play at UK. Euton, a 6-8 sophomore forward for Rose Hill, has verbally committed to Kentucky. Miller started off slow, but ended up with a big game.
He posted up a lot. Miller threw down a one-handed dunk on a teammate's missed lay-up.
Euton reminds me of a European player. He plays on the perimeter a lot, makes three-pointers and is a good passer. Mason County won three of the first quarters before I left. The Mason County guards shot the ball well.The Royals will scrimmage University Heights Saturday at Sheldon Clark. That scrimmage will feature the top two contenders for Mr. Basketball-Miller and Scotty Hopson.

Woods 2nd Team All-State, Rice Honorable Mention

The Kentucky Track and Cross Country Coaches Association has announced its all-state cross country teams. In Class 2A, Mason County 7th grader Julia Woods was named to the second team and Mason County 8th grader Valerie Rice received honorable mention recognition. Here is a link to the Class 2A all-state teams.

Lofton Scores 17 in UT's Rout of Middle Tennessee

Chris Lofton scored 17 points and dished out seven assists in Tennessee's 109-40 rout of Middle Tennessee tonight. Lofton was 6-of-9 from the field and 5-0f-8 on three-point shots. He also had three rebounds and blocked a shot. JuJuan Smith led the Volunteers with 32 points. Tennessee's next game is Friday night against West Virginia in the Legends Classic in Newark, NJ.

Mason County Freshmen Girls' Hoops Schedule

The Mason County freshmen girls' basketball team, coached by Jason Butler, opens the season Monday night. Here is the team's schedule:

Nov. 26 Bourbon County Away 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 29 Campbell County Home 6 p.m.
Dec. 4 Clark County Away 7 p.m.
Dec. 7 Montgomery County Home 6 p.m.
Dec. 12 Pendleton County Away 6 p.m.
Dec. 14 Fleming County Home 6 p.m.
Dec. 17 Harrison County Away 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 2 Bracken County Home 6 p.m.
Jan. 9 Fleming County Away 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 11 Clark County Home 6 p.m.
Jan. 15 Harrison County Home 6 p.m.
Jan. 22 Bracken County Away 6 p.m.
Jan. 24 Paris Away 6 p.m.
Jan. 29 Campbell County Away 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 31 Bourbon County Home 6 p.m.
Feb. 4 Montgomery County Away 6 p.m.
Feb. 12 Pendleton County Home 6 p.m.

Stingrays vs. Paris

The Stingrays won several races in their dual meet against Paris Nov. 10.
Five members of the team-Ty Alderman, Morgan Cyrus, Amanda Miller, Nicholas Nelson and Russell Rigg-won three races. Maggie Ford won two races. Other winners include Justin Conrad,
Haley Rigg, Caitlin Ross and Samantha Patrick. For more information the Stingrays and the dual meet vs. Paris check out the Stingrays Blog.

Lofton Scores 14, Now 11th on UT's All-Time List

Chris Lofton scored 14 points as the Tennessee Volunteers defeated Praire View A&M 89-75 tonight. Lofton moved into 11th place on UT's all-time scoring list. He has scored 1,601 points in his career. The Volunteers host Middle Tennessee Tuesday night.

Official Stats on Russell's Win Over Mason County

Here is a link to the official statistics on Russell's 26-21 win over Mason County from the Russell Football web site.

Lady Royals Scrimmage at West Carter Today

The Mason County Lady Royals will scrimmage the East Carter Lady Raiders at 2 p.m. today in the Jack Fultz Classic at West Carter. Here is the schedule:

11 a.m. (Girls) Bath County vs. Greenup County
12:30 p.m. (Boys) Jackson City vs. Menifeee County
2 p.m. (Girls) East Carter vs. Mason County
3:30 p.m. (Boys) East Carter vs. Bracken County
5 p.m. (Boys) Elliott County vs. Georgetown, Ohio
6:30 p.m. (Girls) West Carter vs. Lewis County
8 p.m. (Boys) West Carter vs. Portsmouth West

Russell 26, Mason County 21

Another tough loss for Mason County in Flatwoods. The Russell Red Devils beat the Royals 26-21 tonight in the second round of the Class 3A football playoffs to win the district title. There were six lead changes. Mason County scored on the opening drive of the third quarter to lead 21-20. The Royals recovered the ensuing onside kick and advanced to the Russell four yard line before turning the ball over on an interception. Mason County had the ball for the first 9:07 of the third quarter.
After the pick, Russell regained the lead with an 80-yard scoring drive. Mason County went three and out, and Russell ran out the clock. The Red Devils had the ball for 10:55 of the fourth quarter. Mason County quarterback Richie Cox passed for 190 yards and three touchdowns. Russell had 334 yards of total offense including 268 rushing yards. Mason County had 307 yards of total offense. Mason County is 0-7 against Russell in Flatwoods. Russell's last four wins over Mason County have been by a total of 14 points. Russell (11-1) will host Breathitt County in the third round. Mason County ends the season with a record of 8-4.
Here is the scoring summary:


R 1st Q 10:24 Adam Bates 63-yard run (run failed) R 6, MC 0
MC 1st Q 05:23 Westin Stahl 19-yard pass from Richie Cox (Jessica Batey kick) MC 7, R 6
R 2nd Q 11:52 Adams Bates 33-yard run (Jason Dolly kick) R 13, MC 7
MC 2nd Q 10:40 Scott Brooks 14-yard pass from Richie Cox (Jessica Batey kick) MC 14, R 13
R 2nd Q 05:19 David Bailey 33-yard pass from Tyler Jones (Jason Dolly kick) R 20, MC 14
MC 3rd Q 08:23 Scott Brooks 25-yard pass from Richie Cox (Jessica Batey kick) MC 21, R 20
R 4th Q 07:12 Drew Abrams 3-yard run (run failed) R 26, MC 21

Notes: With three touchdown pass tonight, Cox moved past Harry Lewis into third place on the Royals' career passing touchdowns list with 23. His 15 TD passes this season, ties Cox with Justin Walsh for fifth place on Mason County's single-season list.

Statistics were corrected with official statistics Saturday morning.

De'Sarae Chambers Signs with Dayton

Mason County senior De'Sarae Chambers today signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at the University of Dayton. Mason County Lady Royals coach Paula Buser announced that Chambers has been named to the "Tremendous 26" that will appear in the Kentucky Basketball Guide. Chambers, (shown above flanked by her parents, Steve and Medra Chambers, along with Coach Buser) is the Lady Royals' all-time leading scorer with 2,308 points. Last season, she averaged 17.6 points and 8.2 rebounds a game.

Here is my audio report on the signing:

Gabcast! De'Sarae Chambers Signs with Dayton #0

Lofton on Sports Illustrated Cover

Chris Lofton is on a regional cover of Sports Illustrated's college basketball preview issue.

It's the first time Lofton has appeared on an S.I. cover. Lofton is shown shooting over

Chris Douglas-Roberts of Memphis. Lofton is also on a regional cover of USA Today's college basketball preview. Here is a link to the story.

Update: This is not the first time Lofton has been on a Sports Illustrated cover. He was on the cover in a collage of college basketball players and coaches on an at least one issue leading up the NCAA Tournament. I should have written that it's the first time Lofton has been featured on an

S-I cover.

Mason County vs. Russell Round 2

The Mason County Royals play the Russell Red Devils at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Flatwoods in the second round of the Class 3A football playoffs. Russell edged Mason County 27-26 in the regular season game at Mason County. Here is a rundown of the season statistics for both teams:


Scoring Average
Russell 38.3, Opponents 20.4
Mason County 35, Oppenents 17.2

1st Downs Per Game
Russell 16.3, Opponents 16.1
Mason County 10.9, Opponents 8.6

Rushing Yards Per Game
Russell 278.5, Opponents 127.3
Mason County 216, Opponents 164

Passing Yards Per Game
Russell 77.6, Opponents 149.2
Mason County 106.8, Opponents 108

Total Offense Per Game
Russell 356.2, Opponents 276.5
Mason County 322.8, Opponents 272

Third Down Conversions
Russell 50/97 52%, Opponents 53/129 41%
Mason County 46/103 44.7%, Opponents 44/132 33.3%

Fourth Down Conversions
Russell 13/21 62% Opponents 16/29 55%
Mason County 15/23 65.2%, Opponents 44/132 35.5%

Red Zone Chances

Russell 37/45 (34 touchdowns) Opponents 23/31 (21 touchdowns)

Mason County 34/39 (34 touchdowns) Opponents 18/27 (18 touchdowns)

Turnover Margin

Russell +11

Mason County +14

St. Patrick Green-White Games

The St. Patrick girls' and boys' basketball teams will play their annual Green-White games Friday night at the St. Patrick gym. The intra-squad scrimmages begin at 6 p.m. beginning with the junior varsity girls followed by the junior varsity boys,
the varsity girls and the varsity boys.
The St. Patrick Saints will scrimmage the Harrison County Thorobreds at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Harrison County Hoop-Fest.

Bethel College Contacts Chris Temple

Bethel College in Tennessee has invited Mason County offensive tackle Chris Temple to its playoff game Saturday. Bethel College is in McKenzie, TN. The Wildcats are ranked 4th in the nation in NAIA. Bethel hosts Mid-America Nazarene Saturday.
Ryan Steigleder, a 2004 graduate of Mason County High School, is a senior defensive
back for Mid-America Nazarene.

Audio Report on Darius Miller Signing

Here is a report I did on Darius Miller signing with the University of Kentucky-

Gabcast! Sound from Darius Miller Signing #2

Darius Miller Signs with Kentucky

Mason County senior Darius Miller made it official this morning. He signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at the University of Kentucky. Miller, shown at left with his parents, Nicole and Brian, had verbally committed to UK in September. Today is the first day of the week-long signing period. Miller is a 6-7 guard-forward. He averaged 19 points a game for Mason County last season. He was recruited by several major schools including Louisville, Florida, Tennessee,

Illinois and Texas. Miller joins Ronnie Lyons and Deron Feldhaus as the only Mason County players to sign with Kentucky.

Tolle to Visit EKU, Nominated for Border Bowl

Mason County senior defensive end/linebacker/tight end Jackson Tolle is scheduled to visit Eastern Kentucky University this weekend. Tolle has been nominated to play in the first
Border Bowl between Kentucky and Tennessee players Jan. 12 at the University of the Cumberlands.

Class 3A Football Playoff Bracket

Here is a link to the updated Class 3A Football playoff bracket.

Lady Royals 8th in Class 2A State Cross Country Meet

The 5th ranked Mason County Lady Royals finished 8th in the Class 2A State Cross Country Championships today at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Seventh grader Julia Woods was Mason County's top runner. She finished 17th in a time of 20:29.59.




Here are links to the complete results:

Girls' Class 2A

Boys' Class 2A

Girls' Class A

Mason County 57, West Carter 6

Mason County jumped out a 22-0 lead and scored 28 points in the third quarter on the way to a 57-6 win over the West Carter Comets tonight in the first round of the Class 3A football playoffs.
On the third play of the game, Richie Cox returned an interception 27 yards for a touchdown.
Cox passed for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Cox also ran for a touchdown. Mason County had 388 total yards (254 rushing and 134 passing). West Carter had 150 total yards including 140 rushing yards. Mason County will play Russell in Flatwoods in the second round.
Here is the scoring summary:

MC 1st Q 10:21 Richie Cox 27-yard interception return (Jessica Batey kick) MC 7, WC 0
MC 1st Q 06:21 Richie Cox one-yard run (Jessica Batey kick) MC 14, WC 0
MC 2nd Q 10:03 Cameron Pollitt 11-yard run(conversion pass to Corey Woods from Terrance Breckenridge) MC 22, WC 0
WC 2nd Q 01:44 Trevor Rayburn three-yard run (pass failed) MC 22, WC 6
MC 3rd Q 08:54 Cameron Pollitt 30-yard run (Jessica Batey kick) MC 20, WC 6
MC 3rd Q 05:57 Terrance Breckenridge 65-yard pass from Richie Cox (Jessica Batey kick)
MC 36, WC 6
MC 3rd Q 04:57 Jackson Tolle 19-yard pass from Richie Cox (Jessica Batey kick) MC 43, WC 6
MC 3rd Q 03:31 Scott Brooks 56-yard interception return (Jessica Batey kick) MC 50, WC 6
MC 4th Q 05:55 Akeem Jackson seven-yard run (Jessica Batey kick) MC 57, WC 6

Note: Scott Brooks' interception was his 8th of the season. Richie Cox has passed for 1,040 yards this season. Cox is now tied with Brian McDowell for fifth place on Mason County's career passing touchdown list with 18. Jeremy Thompson led the Royals in rushing with 99 yards on 11 carries. Cameron Pollitt had nine carries for 94 yards. Terrance Breckenridge had four receptions for 91 yards. Mason County has won five straight home playoff games. The Royals are 6-1 in home playoff games. Tonight's win was the 90th at Mason County for coach David Buchanan.

State Cross Country Championships Saturday

The KHSAA State Cross Country Championships will be held Saturday at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

St. Patrick's three individual qualifiers- Sarah Moe, Ali Moe and Amrita Srinivasan- will start in lane 30 in the Class A Girls' race at 9:30 a.m.

The Mason County's girls team qualified for the state meet by finishing second in the Region 5 meet. The Lady Royals were assigned to lane 10 in the Class 2A Girls' race which begins at 11:30 a.m. The team members are Sarah Bellingham, Iretta Carpenter, Samantha Grayson, Raylee Kirkland, Alexi Loving, Blaine Menke, Valerie Rice, Jessica Shotwell, Rachel White and Julia Woods.

In the Class 2A Boys' race at 12:15 p.m., Mason County's three individual qualifiers- Braun Applegate, Nathan Woods and Jim Meyers- will start in lane 30.

The price of admission is $6 for all non-contestants over the age of six. Parking will be in the back parking lots (polo grounds) of the Kentucky Horse Park.

Middle School Football Coaching Staff

The Mason County 8th grade football team won the conference championship. The coaching staff is shown at left with the trophies. The coaches are (from left) Brian McDowell, Bill Shower,
Tom Posey and Grant Felice.
(photo submitted)

Stingrays Off to Fast Start

The Limestone Family YMCA Stingrays swim team opened the season last weekend in the Shelby Harvest Classic 2007 in Shelbyville. The local swimmers won several races.

• Nicholas Nelson in the boys' 8 and under age group won the 50 freestyle, the 25 backstroke, the 100 freestyle, the 25 freestyle, the 25 butterfly and the 50 backstroke;
• Maggie Ford in the girls' 9-10 age group won the 25 breaststroke, the 50 backstroke, the 50 freestyle, the 100 backstroke, and the 25 butterfly.
• Morgan Cyrus in the girls' 11-12 age group won the 100 freestyle, 50 breaststroke and 100 breaststroke;
• Kelsey Dillon in the girls' 11-12 age group won the 200 individual medley, 200 freestyle and the 50 butterfly;
• Amanda Miller in the girls' 15 and over age group won the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle.

For more information about the meet and the Stingrays, check out the Stingray blog.

Mason County hosts West Carter in Playoffs

The Mason County Royals host the West Carter Comets at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the first round of
the Class 3A football playoffs. The tailgate party is from 5:30 to 6:45. The menu includes chicken breast sandwich, green beans, pasta salad, drink and dessert. The cost is $5 per person.






Here are some game notes:

• Mason County is 7-3. West Carter is 4-6;



• Mason County defeated West Carter 62-14 in the regular season game Sept. 21 at Mason County;



• The Royals scored 42 unanswered points in that game. Mason County had 453 total yards. West Carter had 282 total yards;



• West Carter has gone 3-1 since losing to the Royals;



• The Comets edged Raceland 24-22 last week;



• West Carter running back Stephen Carroll has rushed for 704 yards and 11 touchdowns this season;



• West Carter quarterback Ace Puckett needs 33 passing yards to reach the 1,000 yard mark;



• Mason County senior quarterback Richie Cox needs 94 passing yards to reach the 1,000 yard plateau;



• Mason County leads the series with West Carter 15-4;



• The Royals are hosting a playoff game for the first time since 2003, and have won four straight home playoff games;



• The winner of the Mason County-West Carter game advances to the second round to play the winner of the East Carter at Russell game.

Saints to Play in W. Jessamine Panorama

The St. Patrick Saints will scrimmage Monticello at 10 a.m. Saturday in the West Jessamine
Panorama. West Jessamine High School is located at 2101 Wilmore Road in Nicholasville.

Stingrays Schedule

The Limestone Family YMCA Stringrays swim team hosts its first meet of the season Saturday.
Here is the team's schedule:

Nov. 10 YMCA Dual Meet vs. Paris at Home
Nov. 17 YMCA Sprint Meet at Erlanger YMCA
Nov. 30-Dec. 2 "Kast-A-Way" Swimwear" Winter Invitational USA Meet at St. Xavier High School, Cincinnati
Dec. 8 PCBY Invitational YMCA Meet in Paris
Dec. 15 YMCA Dual Meet vs. Ashland at Home
Jan. 4-6 HYCAT "Y" Invitational USA Meet in Huntington, West Virginia
Jan. 12 YMCA Dual Meet vs. Beaumont at Beaumont YMCA, Lexington
Jan. 26 YMCA 12 & Under State Meet at Beaumont YMCA, Lexington
Feb. 15-17 Suss Valentine Classic USA Meet at Shelbyville
Feb. 23 YMCA Dual Meet vs. Ashland in Ashland
Mar. 1 YMCA State Championship in Ashland
Mar. 14-16 KYLSC State A Championship USA Meet (must qualify) in Lexington

Royals 7th in Bluegrasspreps.com Rankings

The Mason County Royals fell two spots to No. 7 in the Bluegrasspreps.com Class 3A Football Rankings. The Royals host the West Carter Comets Friday night in the first round of the playoffs.

Paris Ladyhounds Panorama

The Mason County Lady Royals and St. Patrick Lady Saints are among the teams scheduled to play in the Paris Ladyhounds Panorama Saturday. Here is the schedule:

Paris High School (308 W. 7th Street)
9:00 a.m. Mason County vs. Franklin County
11:30 a.m. Bishop Brossart vs. Lafayette
2:00 p.m. Bourbon County vs. Bracken County
4:30 p.m. Paris vs. Grant County

Paris Elementary School (1481 Main Street)
9:00 a.m. Nicholas County vs. Garrard County
11:30 a.m. Conner vs. Tates Creek
2:00 p.m. Deming vs. Ludlow
4:30 p.m. St. Patrick vs. Buckhorn

A junior varsity scrimmage will immediately follow the varsity scrimmage.
Varsity scrimmages will consist of (4) 8-minute quarters. Junior varsity teams will play (4)
6-minute quarters. The score will reset at the end of each quarter. Admission is $5.
Children under five years old will be admitted free of charge.

Micah Turner Scores 19 Points vs. Morehead State

Micah Turner scored a team-high 19 points and grabbed five rebounds in Berea's 93-75 exhibition game loss to Morehead State last night. Turner, a 2006 graduate of Mason County High School, is a 6-4 sophomore guard for Berea.

Tolle Finalist for 2007 Army Iron Man of the Year

Mason County senior tight end/defensive end Jackson Tolle is a finalist for the 2007 Army Iron Man of the Year in Kentucky presented by Jostens. Tolle won the weekly award in week five of the season. The award winner is determined by fan voting on the Internet. Here is a link to the site.

Julia Woods Win XC Region

Mason County 7th grader Julia Woods won the girls' Class 2A Region 5 cross country championship today at Russell. Woods had a time of 20:59.69. Woods led the 5th ranked Lady Royals to a second place finish and a berth in the state meet. Two other Mason County runners finished in the top 10- 8th grader Valerie Rice was 7th (21:45.46), and 7th grader Raylee Kirkland was 8th (21:56.44). Highlands won the title over Mason County by seven points.
The Mason County boys' team finished fifth and failed to qualified for the state meet. The top four teams advance to state. Three Royals- senior Braun Applegate, freshman Nathan Woods and sophomore Jim Meyers-are individual qualifiers for the state meet. Applegate finished in 22nd place, Woods was 23rd and Meyers was 25th.
Here is a link to the Class 2A Region 5 results.

Three St. Patrick runner-sophomore Sarah Moe, freshman Ali Moe and 8th grader Amrita Srinivasan- finished in the top 20 in the girls' Class A Region 4 meet in Mt. Sterling and qualified for the state meet. Sarah Moe was 12th (22:15.43), Ali Moe was 16th (23:13.52) and Srinivasan was 19th (23:22.30).

The state meet will be held Saturday, Nov. 10 at the Kentucky Horse Park.

(Updated and edited Sunday)

(Photo of Julia Woods courtesy of Patrick Fahey)

KHSAA Class 3A Football Playoff Bracket

Here is a link to the KHSAAClass 3A Football Playoff Bracket.

Mason County 34, Greenup County 33

The Mason County Royals edged the Greenup County Musketeers 34-33 in overtime tonight at Greenup County. It was 27-27 at halftime and the two teams were scoreless in the second half.
Freshman quarterback Neal Pawsat started in place of senior Richie Cox who was injured last week in the win over Fleming County. Pawsat scored his third touchdown of the game on a one- yard run in overtime. Jessica Batey's extra point put the Royals up 34-27. Greenup County scored on a 14-yard run by T.J. Stephenson. The Musketeers went for a two point conversion, but the half back option pass was incomplete. In a wild first half, Mason County scored on its first four possessions and Greenup County scored on its first three possession. Pawsat completed 8 of 18 passes for 105 yards. Jeremy Thompson rushed for 139 yards on 19 carries. Mason County had 439 total yards. Greenup County had 322 total yards. Mason County (7-3) hosts West Carter in the first round of the playoffs Friday night. Here is the scoring summary:

GC 1st Q 10:14 Eric Craft one-yard run (Crockett Reed kick) GC 7, MC 0
MC 1st Q 05:04 Neal Pawsat three-yard run (Jessica Batey kick) GC 7, MC 7
GC 2nd Q 11:54 Corey Justice 10-yard run (Crockett Reed kick) GC 14, MC 7
MC 2nd Q 09:54 Neal Pawsat one-yard run (Jessica Batey kick) GC 14, MC 14
GC 2nd Q 05:20 Zach Smith one-yard run (Crockett Reed kick) GC 21, MC 14
MC 2nd Q 04:30 Cameron Pollitt nine-yard run (Jessica Batey kick) GC 21, MC 21
MC 2nd Q 01:03 Terrance Breckenridge seven-yard run (Jessica Batey kick missed) MC 27, GC 21
GC 2nd Q 00:09.6 Corey Justice two-yard run (Crockett Reed kick blocked) MC 27, GC 27
MC OT Neal Pawsat one-yard run (Jessica Batey kick) MC 34, GC 27
GC OT T.J. Stephenson 14-yard run (pass failed) MC 34, GC 33

Mason County at Greenup County

The Mason County Royals close out the regular season tomorrow night at Greenup County.
Here are a few notes about the

• Mason County is looking to go 7-3 in the regular season for the third straight year;
• The Royals' defense has forced 30 turnovers (15 interceptions and 15 fumble recoveries);
• Mason County cornerback Scott Brooks has six interceptions. He has had at least one pick in each of the last five games;
• Mason County and Greenup County were Class 3A district foes the past four years. Greenup County moved up to Class 4A this year under the six class alignment;
• Greenup County has won two straight games after losing six of its first seven. The Musketeers are the number two seed in Class 4A District 8, and will host Rowan County next week in the first round of the playoffs;
• Greenup County junior quarterback Eric Craft has thrown 12 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions;
• Senior running back T.J. Stephenson is the Musketeers' leading rusher. He has rushed for 567 yards and six touchdowns;
• Mason County and Greenup County have played two common opponents. Both teams beat Lewis County (MC 56 LC 7, GC 55, LC 12) and both lost to Russell (R 27, MC 26 OT, R 45, GC 18);
• Mason County leads the series with Greenup County 5-4. The Royals won 7-0 last season.