Royals get 38-14 road win over Fleming County

The Mason County Royals scored 38 straight points in a 38-14 victory over the Fleming County Panthers tonight in Flemingsburg. Fleming County scored on its opening drive to take a 6-0 lead but didn't score again until 13 seconds were left in the game. Mason County quarterback Neal Pawsat completed 9 of 13 passes for 136 yards and three touchdowns. Jeremy Thompson rushed for 190 yards and a touchdown. Thompson also caught a touchdown pass. Westin Stahl had a touchdown reception and had an interception on defense for the third straight game. Mason County had 430 total yards (294 rushing and 136 passing). Fleming County had 292 yards (123 rushing and 169 passing). Mason County (7-2) hosts Greenup County on Senior Night next week. Here is the scoring summary:

FC 1st Q 10:08 Chip Clark 15 yard run (kick failed) FC 6, MC 0
MC 1st Q 8:05 Westin Stahl 20 yard pass from Neal Pawsat (kick failed) MC 6, FC 6
MC 2nd Q 8:20 Jeremy Thompson 21 yard pass from Neal Pawsat (Jeremy Thompson run)
MC 14, FC 6
MC 2nd Q 5:16 Terrence Breckenridge 34 yard run (Jessica Batey kick) MC 21, FC 6
MC 3rd 10:07 Jordan Gilbert 11 yard pass from Neal Pawsat (Jessica Batey kick) MC 28, FC 6
MC 4th Q 11:45 Jeremy Thompson 82 yard run (Ryan Foley pass from Terrence Breckenridge)
MC 36, FC 6
MC 4th Q 10:24 Safety MC 38, FC 6
FC 4th Q 00:13 Josh Gray 7 yard pass from Tyler Newsom (Josh Gray pass from Tyler Newsom) MC 38, FC 14

Notes:

• With the win, Mason County evened the series with Fleming County at 16-16;
• Jeremy Thompson has rushed for 1,102 yards and 22 touchdowns this season;
• Thompson's TD reception tonight was the first of his career.

Mason County to run in KTCCA Meet of Champions

The Mason County cross country teams will compete in the KTCCA Meet of Champions Saturday at Masterson Station Park in Lexington. Thirty-one teams are scheduled to attend the meet which is a tune-up for next week's region meets. Mason County will host the Class 2A Region 5 meet on Nov. 8.

Mason County at Fleming County tonight

The Mason County Royals play their final road game of the regular season tonight in Flemingsburg against the Fleming County Panthers. Mason County clinched the district championship last week with a 20-7 win over the Russell Red Devils. The Royals are 6-2 overall. Fleming County has been plagued by numerous injuries this season and is 1-7. The Panthers beat Lewis County 29-20 two weeks ago. Fleming County is coming off a 19-13 loss to West Carter last week. Fleming County leads the series with Mason County 16-15. The Royals have won three in a row against the Panthers and six of the last seven meetings. The series has not been tied since 1982 when it was 2-2. Mason County is 11-2 against Fleming County under Coach David Buchanan. The Royals won 28-14 last season. Kick-off is at 7:30 p.m.

MCC tennis awards

The Maysville Country Club tennis awards banquet was held Tuesday night. Here is a list of the club champions and runners-up:

Men's Singles
Champion- Kent Kalb
Runner-up- Stocky Wood

Women's Singles
Champion- Bettsy Kalb
Runner-up- Suellen Faris

Men's Doubles
Champions- Jason Stahl/Clay Boone
Runners-up- Kent Kalb/Randy Anderson

Women's Doubles
Champions- Bettsy Kalb/Suellen Faris
Runners-up- Judy Vance/Rita Blakefield

Mixed Doubles
Champions- Jason Stahl/Rita Blakefield
Runners-up- Kent Kalb/Bettsy Kalb

Boys 16 & Under
Champion- Mackenzie Bennett
Runner-up- Edward Ross

Girls 16 & Under
Champion- Shelby Wulfekamp
Runner-up- Jessica Shotwell

Girls 10 & Under
Champion- Rebecca Wood
Runner-up- Charlee Schaefer

Mason Co. still No. 4, Russell drops two spots in Bluegrasspreps.com Rankings

The Mason County Royals are holding steady at No. 4 in the Bluegrasspreps.com Class 3A Football Rankings. Russell drops two spots to No. 8 after losing to Mason County last week. Here are the rankings:

1. Belfry
2. Central
3. Breathitt County
4. Mason County
5. Estill County
6. North Oldham
7. Elizabethtown
8. Russell
9. Harlan County
10. Sheldon Clark

Frosh and JV Royals win CKC Championships

The Mason County freshmen and junior varsity football teams both defeated Fleming County in the Central Kentucky Conference championship games tonight at Mason County. The score of the freshmen game was 19-8. The junior varsity won 14-8. Both Mason County teams were undefeated this season.

Raylee Kirkland is Area 7 Girls' Middle School Runner of the Year

Mason County 8th grader Raylee Kirkland is the Area 7 Girls' Middle School Runner of the Year. Kirkland won the Area 7 Championship (4K) Saturday in a time of 16:04.97. Here is a list of the local runners who made the All-Area 7 teams:

Varsity Girls' First Team
Valerie Rice, Mason County
Julia Woods, Mason County
Sarah Moe, St. Patrick
Sarah Bellingham, Mason County

Varsity Girls' Second Team
Amirta Srinivasan, St. Patrick
Samantha Grayson, Mason County
Iretta Carpenter, Mason County
Rachel White, Mason County
Blaine Menke, Mason County

Varsity Boys' Second Team
Nathan Woods, Mason County

Middle School Girls' First Team
Raylee Kirland, Mason County
Abby Huff, Mason County
Carley Moore, Mason County
Renee Stewart, Mason County

Middle School Girls' Second Team
Kelly Lee, Mason County

Elementary Girls' First Team
Gita Srinivasan, St. Patrick
Sierra Anderson, Mason County
Elizabeth Mason, Mason County
Cara Woods, Mason County

Elementary Girls' Second Team
Savannah Bothman, Mason County
Megan Pfeffer, Mason County
Sara Ballard, Mason County

Elementary Boys' First Team
Tanner Kirkland, Mason County


Elementary Boys' Second Team
Tyler Toombs, Mason County
Garrett Appelman, Mason County

Mason Co. will host Magoffin Co. in first round

The Mason County Royals will host the Magoffin County Hornets in the first round of the Class 3A football playoffs on Nov. 14. Mason County is the District 7 Champion. Magoffin County finished fourth in District 8. Here are the first round pairings for Region 4:

Magoffin County at Mason County
East Carter at Sheldon Clark
West Carter at Belfry
Pike Country Central at Russell

Mason County girls' 2nd in Area 7 Championships

The Mason County girls' cross country team finished second in the Area 7 Championships Saturday at Morgan County. Seven Mason County girls finished in the Top 20- Valerie Rice (2nd), Julia Woods (3rd), Sarah Bellingham (8th), Samantha Grayson (15th), Iretta Carpenter (16th), Rachel White (17th) and Blaine Menke (20th). Two St. Patrick girls also finished in the Top 20. Sarah Moe took fourth place and Amrita Srinivasan finished 13th. Mason County finished in fifth place in the boys' race. Nathan Woods led the Royals with a 14th place finish. Nick Robinson was 26th. Jim Meyers took 29th place. Jacob Heller of St. Patrick was next in 30th place. Raylee Kirkland won the girls' middle school race to lead the Lady Royals to the win. The Mason County girls, led by Sierra Anderson (4th) and Elizabeth Mason (5th) also won the elementary school race. Gita Srinivasan of St. Patrick finished third. Here are links to the complete results:

Varsity Girls

Varsity Boys

Middle School

Elementary School

(Edited to add Nathan Woods as the Mason County boys' top finisher)

Mason Co. over Russell 20-7 in Flatwoods

The Mason County Royals defeated the Russell Red Devils in Flatwoods for the first time Friday night and won the district championship. The final score: Mason County 20, Russell 7.
Mason County quarterback Neal Pawsat ran for a touchdown and threw for a touchdown.
Russell took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Josh Harris had a 50-yard return on the ensuing kickoff and Jeremy Thompson had a 31 yard run to set up the Royals' first score. Mason County led 13-7 at the half. The Royals' defense stopped Russell on 4th and 1 on the first drive of the second half. Mason County then put together a 12-play, 54-yard scoring drive to lead 20-7.
It is Mason County's first win over Russell since 2001. The Royals were 0-7 against the Red Devils in Flatwoods in the series which began in 1991. Thompson rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown. Russell running back Drew Abrams ran for 136 yards and a touchdown. Mason County had 200 yards of total offense (167 rushing and 33 passing). Russell had 215 yards (170 rushing and 30 passing). Mason County is 6-2 overall and completes district play with a 4-0 record. The Royals secured home field advantage for the first two rounds of the playoffs. Mason County plays at Fleming County next week. Here is the scoring summary:

R 1st Q Drew Abrams 24 yard run (Jason Dolly kick) R 7, MC 0
MC 1st Q Neal Pawsat 1 yard run (kick failed) R 7, MC 6
MC 2nd QTerrence Breckenridge 28 yard pass from Neal Pawsat (Jessica Batey kick) MC 13, R 7
MC 3rd Q Jeremy Thompson 3 yard run (Jessica Batey kick) MC 20, R 7

12th Region Girls' Soccer All-Region Teams

1st Team All-Region
Alisha Acuff – Bourbon Co.
Sarah Akers – Montgomery Co.
Rebecca Batey – Mason Co.
Lauren Bennett – Walton Verona
Hope Gibson – Pendleton Co.
Courtney Grannis – Harrison Co.
Samantha Schweitzer – Harrison Co.
Bethany Shupe – Paris
Courtlyn Terrell – Bourbon Co.
Sarah Warner – George Rogers Clark – 12th Region Player of the Year
Sabrina Whittman – Montgomery Co.

2nd Team All-Region
Jessica Batey – Mason Co.
Kaitlin Boldt – George Rogers Clark
Jessica Burden – Harrison Co.
Morgan Carter – Bourbon Co.
Tori Cincotta – Montgomery Co.
Kate Evans – George Rogers Clark
Olivia Franz – Montgomery Co.
Leslie Pfeffer – St. Pat.
Katie Sharp – George Rogers Clark
Rachel Turner – Pendleton Co.
Jacquie Webb – Walton Verona

Honorable Mention All- Region
Ashtyn Abner – George Rogers Clark
Savannah Caudill – Harrison Co.
Rebecca Curtis – George Rogers Clark
Jessica Johnson – Walton Verona
Hillary Osborne – George Rogers Clark
Brianna Parrish - Paris
Mariah Pohl – George Rogers Clark
Ashley Ratliff – Montgomery Co.
Emily Shultz – Montgomery Co.
Tiffany Snider – Harrison Co.
Courtney Tyra – Bourbon Co.

Royals basketball highlights DVD still on sale

The Mason County Royals 2007-08 basketball highlights DVD is still on sale at Mason County High School. The DVD will also be sold at home basketball games in December.
Here is a preview of the DVD:



'07-'08 Mason County Basketball Intro from First String Media on Vimeo.

Mason County at Russell tonight

The district title is on the line when the Mason County Royals play the Russell Red Devils tonight in Flatwoods. Mason County is going for its first win over Russell since 2001. The Royals have never won in Flatwoods. Russell running back Drew Abrams has rushed for 949 yards and 14 touchdowns. Mason County tailback Jeremy Thompson has rushed for 795 yards and 20 touchdowns. Here is a rundown of some key season statistics for both teams:

Scoring Average
Mason County 38.3
Opponents 16.9

Russell 34.4
Opponents 18.1

First Downs Per Game
Mason County 18.1
Opponents 17.1

Russell 15.3
Opponents 14.4

Rushing Yards Per Game
Mason County 219.9
Opponents 205.1

Russell 271.2
Opponents 194.5

Passing Yards Per Game
Mason County 158.6
Opponents 82.1

Russell 97.5
Opponents 82.4

Turnovers
Mason County 13
Opponents 20

Russell 13
Opponents 18

Penalties/Yards
Mason County 34/277
Opponents 53/386

Russell 34/454
Opponents 25/174

3rd Down Conversions
Mason County 23 of 55 for 41.8%
Opponents 27 of 73 for 37%

Russell 32 of 72 for 44%
Opponents 29 of 93 for 31%

4th Down Conversions
Mason County 12 of 17 for 70.6%
Opponents 8 of 15 for 53.3%

Russell 11 of 21 for 52%
Opponents 12 of 35 for 34%

(Edited to correct Thompson's rushing yards)

Lofton scores 18 points in pro debut

Chris Lofton scored 18 points in his first professional game in Turkey. Here is a link to the Mersin BSB. team statistics page.

Coach Buchanan and four players on Scholastic Ball Report

The Mason County Royals football team will be featured as the "Team of the Week" on the Scholastic Ball Report TV show Saturday. Coach David Buchanan and seniors Adam Cooper, Terrence Breckenridge, Jeremy Thompson and Cory Woods went to Lexington Wednesday night and taped the segment. The Scholastic Ball Report, hosted by Gary Ball and Louis Stout, airs at 11:30 a.m. Saturday on WKYT.

Mason County boys' golf banquet

The Mason County boys' golf team held its annual banquet Wednesday night at Desha's.

Season Highlights
16-4 record
Played in 16 tournaments, top 15 in two; top 10 in two
Regional runner-up
State qualifier, top 24 out of 256 teams in the state

Award Winners
Jackson Frame, varsity letter and pin; and Academic Award
Sam O'Mara, varsity letter and Academic Award
Bradley Litizinger, varsity letter and Academic Award
Ryan Hamm, varsity letter and Academic Award
Eric White, varsity letter and team's low score in regional tournament
Josh Harris, varsity pin, Academic award and team's low score in state tournament
Tanner Walton, varsity pin and Academic Award

(An Academic Award is given to any student-athlete with a GPA of 3.5 or higher)

Major Awards
Leadership Award- Ryan Hamm
Season Low Average- Tanner Walton (84.2)

Lady Royals still 7th in XC rankings

The Mason County Lady Royals are still No. 7 in the KYtrackXC.com girls' Class 2A rankings. Mason County freshman Valerie Rice is 10th and Mason County 8th grader Julia Woods is 20th in the individual rankings.

Link to interview with De'Sarae Chambers

Tuesday was Media Day for the University of Dayton women's basketball team. Here is a link to an interview with De'Sarae Chambers.

Lady Royals end season with 4-3 loss to Lady Indians

The Mason County Lady Royals lost to the Montgomery County Lady Indians 4-3 Tuesday night in the semifinals of the girls' 12th Region soccer tournament. Rebecca Batey scored two goals and had the assist on Jessica Batey's goal. Mason County ends the season with a record of 12-3-5. Montgomery County will play Bourbon County in the championship game Thursday at 7 p.m. at Mason County. Bourbon County edged Pendleton County in a shootout in the other semifinal game Tuesday night.

Mason Co. No. 4, Russell No. 6 in Bluegrasspreps.com rankings

It will be No. 4 vs. No. 6 when Mason County plays Russell for the district title Friday night. Here are this week's Bluegrasspreps.com Class 3A Rankings and who the ranked teams play Friday night:

1. Belfry at #9 Sheldon Clark
2. Central at Moore
3. Breathitt County vs. Powell County
4. Mason County at #6 Russell
5. Estill County at #7 Harlan County
6. Russell vs. #4 Mason County
7. Harlan County vs. #5 Estill County
8. North Oldham vs. Western Hills
9. Sheldon Clark vs. #1 Belfry
10. Elizabethtown at Shawnee

JV Royals rally for win in CKC playoffs

The Mason County junior varsity football team rallied for a 14-12 win over Bourbon County Monday night in the semifinals of the Central Kentucky Conference playoffs. Mason County will host Fleming County in both the freshman and junior varsity championship games next Monday. The freshman game will begin at 5:45 p.m. followed by the junior varsity game.

Lady Saints lose to Lady Indians

The St. Patrick Lady Saints lost to the Montgomery County Lady Indians 2-0 tonight in the first round of the 10th Region volleyball tournament. The scores were 25-12 and 25-16.

Sarah Moe 11th in Scott County Cardinal Classic

St. Patrick junior Sarah Moe finished 11th in the Scott County Cardinal Classic Saturday. St. Patrick freshman Amrita Srinivasan was 19th. St. Patrick freshman Jacob Heller finished 41st in the boys' race. Here is a link to the complete results.

Lady Saints Play Lady Indians in volleyball regional

The St. Patrick Lady Saints play the Montgomery County Lady Indians Monday night in the first round of the 10th Region volleyball tournament at Montgomery County. All four first round matches will be Monday night- two in the Montgomery County High School Arena and two in The Barn (Montgomery County's old gymnasium). Here is the schedule:

Monday in the Montomery County High School Arena
6:30 p.m. Harrison County vs. Dayton
7:30 p.m. Campbell County vs. Clark County

Monday in The Barn
6:30 p.m. Montgomery County vs. St. Patrick
7:30 p.m. Newport Central Catholic vs. Bishop Brossart

Tuesday in the Montgomery County High School Arena
6:30 p.m. upper bracket semifinal
7:30 p.m. lower bracket semifinal

Wednesday in the Montgomery County High School Arena
7 p.m. championship match

Lady Royals 5th in South Oldham Dragon Invitational

The Mason County Lady Royals cross country team finished fifth in the South Oldham Dragon Invitational Saturday. Mason County was led by freshman Valerie Rice (10th) and 8th grader Julia Woods (13th). Mason County junior Jim Meyers finished 25th in the boys' race.

Girls Varsity

Boys Varsity

Thompson scores five TDs in Mason County's Homecoming win

Jeremy Thompson (photo) rushed for 228 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Mason County Royals to a 36-14 victory over the Bourbon County Colonels on Homecoming Friday night. Mason County turned the ball over on the second play of the game, and Bourbon County marched to the Royals' 11 yard line. That drive ended when Colt Fearis intercepted a pass in the end zone. Thompson ran for two touchdowns in the first quarter, and Mason County led 14-6 at the half. Thompson scored on runs of 40, 47 and 31 yards in the second half. Dustin Purcell rushed for 143 yards and one touchdown on 32 carries for Bourbon County. Mason County had 341 total yards (281 rushing and 60 passing). Bourbon County had 301 total yards (205 rushing and 96 passing). Mason County (5-2) plays Russell in Flatwoods next week. Here is the scoring summary:
MC 1st Q 3:44 Jeremy Thompson 5 yard run (Jessica Batey kick) MC 7, BC 0
MC 1st Q 00:42 Jeremy Thompson 1 yard run (Jessica Batey kick) MC 14, BC 0
BC 2nd Q 6:17 Adam Lynch 9 yard pass from Taylor Barnes (kick failed) MC 14, BC 6
MC 3rd Q 8:15 Jeremy Thompson 40 yard run (Jessica Batey kick) MC 21, BC 6
MC 3rd Q 1:54 Jeremy Thompson 47 yard run (Terrence Breckenridge run) MC 29, BC 6
MC 4th Q 10:58 Jeremy Thompson 31 yard run (Jessica Batey kick) MC 35, BC 6
BC 4th Q 8:12 Dustin Purcell 11 yard run (Dustin Purcell run) MC 35, BC 14

Notes:

• Thompson is the fourth Mason County player to score at least five touchdowns in a game. Dustin Grutza scored a school record six TDs againstAshland in 2003. Nathan Myrick scored five touchdowns three times and Shane Fletcher did it twice;
• Thompson moved into third place on Mason County's career rushing touchdown list (33). He is tied with Myrick for the third most rushing TDs in a season (20), and he is fifth on the Royals' list for career total touchdowns (33).

Girls' 12th Region soccer tournament pairings

Mason County hosts Bourbon County on Homecoming

The Mason County Royals, coming off an open week, host the Class 4A Bourbon County Colonels on Homecoming tonight. Here are some game notes:

• Mason County is 4-2. The Royals' two losses are to Class 6A teams-Boone County and Campbell County. Bourbon County is 1-5. The Colonels beat the Nicholas County 14-6 on Oct. 3;


• Mason County quarterback Neal Pawsat has completed 73 of 118 passes for 1,050 yards and eight touchdowns. He has thrown four interceptions;


• Terrence Breckenridge is the Royals' top receiver. He has 24 receptions for 460 yards and two touchdowns;


• Mason County tailback Jeremy Thompson has rushed for 567 yards and 15 touchdowns. Thompson has rushed for 1,998 yards in his career;


• Bourbon County quarterback Taylor Barnes, a 5-9, 164 pound junior, has passed for 372 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 214 yards and two TDs. Barnes left last week's game in the second half with an injury but has practiced this week;


• Duke Ferguson, a 6-5, 247 pound junior, also plays quarterback for the Colonels. Coach Rick Massie says Ferguson has "a rifle for an arm";


• Massie says he thinks senior wide receiver Adam Lynch "can play at the next level with the right fit";


• Massie is in his third season at his alma mater. He was a wide receiver for the University of Kentucky and the Denver Broncos. Massie also played a year and a half in the CFL;


• Mason County beat Bourbon County 28-12 last season. The Colonels lead the series 5-1.

(Edited to correct Thompson's rushing yards)

Lady Royals win district

Jessica Batey scored two goals as the Mason County Lady Royals rallied for a 2-1 win over the Pendleton County Lady Wildcats tonight in the championship game of the 23rd District soccer tournament. Carolyn Morris had an assist. It is Mason County's third district title in four seasons. The Lady Royals (12-2-5) will host the 12th Region tournament.

Lady Saints lose to Fillies in district final

The St. Patrick Lady Saints lost to the Harrison County Fillies 2-0 tonight in the championship match of the 38th District volleyball tournament at Deming. The scores were 25-13 and 25-20. Both teams advance to the 10th Region tournament.

Lady Royals advance to district finals, earn berth in regional

Carolyn Morris and Jessica Batey each scored two goals to lead the Mason County Lady Royals to a 4-1 win over the Grant County Lady Braves tonight in the semifinals of the 23rd District soccer tournament. Jessica Batey and Rebecca Batey each had an assist. The Lady Royals have won five straight games. Mason County (11-2-5) plays Pendleton County in the district championship game Thursday at 4:30 p.m at Walton-Verona. Both teams will advance to the regional tournament.

Lady Saints beat Augusta, earn berth in regional

The St. Patrick Lady Saints defeated the Augusta Lady Panthers 2-0 Tuesday night in the semifinals of the 38th District volleyball tournament. The scores were 25-5 and 25-21.
The Lady Saints play the Harrison County Fillies in the championship game tonight at 7 o'clock at Deming. Both teams will advance to the 10th Region tournament.

Royals lose to Grant County 2-0

The Mason County Royals lost to the Grant County Braves 2-0 tonight in the semifinals of the boys' 23rd District soccer tournament. The Royals end the season with a record of 7-11-1.

Mason Co. remains at No. 4 in Bluegrasspreps.com Rankings

Bluegrasspreps.com Class 3A Football Rankings

1. Belfry
2. Central
3. Breathitt County
4. Mason County
5. Russell
6. Sheldon Clark
7. Estill County
8. Harlan County
9. North Oldham
10. Elizabethtown

Lady Royals edge Lady Saints; Saints lose to Pendleton Co.

The Mason County Lady Royals edged the St. Patrick Lady Saints 1-0 tonight in the girls' 23rd District soccer tournament. Jessica Batey scored in the second half. Mason County (10-2-5) plays Grant County is the semifinals Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at Walton-Verona. St. Patrick ends the season with a record of 9-6-2.
The St. Patrick Saints lost to the Pendleton County Wildcats 3-0 in the boys' 23rd District soccer tournament. The Saints end the season with a record of 7-5-1.

Mason County wins girls middle school and 6th grade and under races

Here is the press release from Mason County cross country coach Mark Kachler:

The future of the Mason County cross country program took center stage on Saturday and continued the domination of area meets by the girls' teams. The Middle School girls' team finished with a perfect score of 15 at the West Carter Invitational. The 6th and under girls' team was almost as good finishing first with a score of 17. Mason Co boys' team member Nick Robinson finished 4th in middle school race. Tanner Kirkland was 2nd in the 6th grade race. The Mason County varsity took the weekend off.

Girls Middle School
1st Julia Woods
2nd Sara Bellingham
3rd Raylee Kirkland
4th Carley Moore
5th Renee Stewart
7th Abby Huff
10th Kelly Lee

Boys Middle School
4th Nick Robinson

Girls 6th & Under
1st Sierra Anderson
2nd Elizabeth Mason
4th Cara Woods
7th Megan Pfeffer
8th Savannah Bothman
12th Lauren Malone
13th Dara Gardner
16th Sara Ballard
23rdLeeana Hollar
25th Colleen Stewart

Boys 6th and under
2nd Tanner Kirkland
4th Tyler Toombs
10th Kento Hamamoto
14th Garret Appelman

Big Blue Madness

I attended my first Big Blue Madness Friday night. A lot of local folks were there including Mason County coach Chris O'Hearn. As you can see in the photo, Darius Miller shaved his head. The event included a video tribute to the late Bill Keightley, longtime equipment manager. UK also unveiled a white "K" and "Mr. Wildcat" on the court in front Mr. Keightley's seat on the Wildcats' bench.

Royals and Rigg miss the cut at the boys' state golf tournament

The Mason County Royals and St. Patrick sophomore Russell Rigg (playing as an individual qualifier) missed the cut Friday at the Leachman GMC/KHSAA boys' state golf tournament at Bowling Green Country Club. Freshmen Josh Harris had Mason County's best score (83). Rigg shot an 86.

Chris Morris wins 5th tournament of the season

Centre College sophomore golfer Chris Morris picked up his fifth win of the fall season Tuesday at the Wittenburg Fall Invitational. Here is a link to the story. Morris set an individual school record in the Old Bridge Invitational Saturday. Here is the link to that story.

Tolle has 3 tackles in Georgetown's win over KCU

Georgetown College freshmen defensive end Jackson Tolle had three tackles (one solo and two unassisted) in the Tigers' 58-33 victory over the Kentucky Christian University Knights Thursday night. Ray Huron played the whole game at center for KCU. Tolle and Huron are 2008 graduates of Mason County High School. Georgetown College's next game is Oct. 18 at the University of the Cumberlands. KCU plays Trinity Bible College Oct. 18 at South Point High School in South Point, OH.
(Photo L-R Huron, KCU assistant coach and former Mason County assistant coach Tom Posey, Tolle. Photo courtesy of Drew Purcell.)

Lady Royals win Ashland XC meet

The Mason County Lady Royals won the Ashland Invitational cross country meet Thursday night. The field included several ranked teams from West Virginia. Mason County placed five girls in the Top 10- Valerie Rice (4th), Julia Woods (5th), Rachel White (8th), Sara Bellingham (9th) and Raylee Kirkland (10th). Four other Lady Royals also medalled- Iretta Carpenter (16th), Renee Stewart (24th), Abby Huff (30th), and Carley Moore (31st). Jim Myers finished in 20th place to lead the Mason County boys to a ninth place finish. Nathan Woods (26th place) also medalled for the Royals.

Saints edged by Blue Jays 2-1

The St. Patrick Saints closed out the regular season with a 2-1 loss to the Ripley Blue Jays. St. Patrick (7-4-1) plays Pendleton County Monday at 5 p.m. in the 23rd District tournament at the Tom Browning Boys and Girls Club. The Saints are the hosts for the tournament.

Lady Saints play in All "A" state volleyball tournament Friday night

The St. Patrick Lady Saints volleyball team begins play in the All "A" state volleyball tournament Friday night at MidAmerica Sports Center in Louisville. Bracken County is also in the tournament. Here is a link to the schedule.

Lady Royals blank Lady Comets 3-0

Jessica Batey scored two goals and had an assist to lead the Mason County Lady Royals to a 3-0 road victory over the West Carter Lady Comets tonight. Carolyn Morris had Mason County's other goal. All three goals were scored in the second half. Mason County (9-2-5) plays St. Patrick in the 23rd District tournament Monday at 4:30 p.m. at Walton-Verona.

Lady Royals 7th in XC rankings

The Mason County Lady Royals are 7th in this week's KyTrackXC.com rankings. Mason County freshman Valerie Rice is 10th in the girls' Top 20. Mason County 8th grader Julia Woods enters the Top 20 at No. 19. Here is a link to the rankings.

Royals, Lady Saints both shutout 4-0 in final games of regular season

The Mason County Royals ended the regular season with a 4-0 loss to the Covington Holy Cross Indians, and the St. Patrick Lady Saints were blanked 4-0 by the Russell Lady Red Devils in their final game of the regular season. The Royals (7-10-1) play Grant County Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the 23rd District tournament at the Tom Browning Boys and Girls Club. The Lady Saints (9-5-2) play the Mason County Lady Royals in the girls' 23rd District soccer tournament Monday at 4:30 p.m. at Walton-Verona.

Mason County to host Lewis County in a frosh/soph. game

Mason County will host Lewis County Monday in a combined freshman/sophomore football game. The game will consist of four 10 minute quarters. The game was added after the Mason County freshmen and junior varsity teams received a first round bye in the conference playoffs.

Mason County misses cut at girls' state golf tourney

The Mason County Lady Royals missed the cut at the girls' state golf tournament at Bowling Green Country Club. Mason County had a total of 423 in the first round Tuesday. Only the
top 11 teams advanced to the final round.

Lady Royals 7th Graders win again, Butler scores 23

The Mason County Lady Royals 7th grade basketball team beat Bracken Co. 35-24 Tuesday night. McKenzie Butler scored a game-high 23 points. Mason County (14-1) ends the season Monday at home against Fleming County.

Royals edged by Dragons 3-2

The Mason County Royals lost to the West Union Dragons 3-2 Tuesday. Tanner Walton and Jackson Gossard each scored a goal for the Royals. Mason County (7-9-1) hosts Covington Holy Cross tonight at 7 o'clock.

Seven seniors score in Lady Royals' 10-1 Senior Night win

Mason County's seven available seniors scored in the Lady Royals' 10-1 win over the West Union Lady Dragons on Senior Night Tuesday. Kristina Kassis led the way with three goals. Jessica Batey scored two goals and had three assists. Rebecca Batey had a goal and two assists. Holly Moulis, Taylor Sargent, Chelsie Porter and Carolyn Morris each scored a goal. Mason County's only other senior, Alonna Greene, suffered a season-ending injury earlier in the year. Mason County (8-2-5) closes out the regular season Thursday at West Carter.

Batey twins sign with Asbury College

The Batey twins- Jessica and Rebecca Batey- seniors at Mason County High School, signed today to play soccer at Asbury College in Wilmore. Jessica scored her 100th career goal earlier this season. She set the Lady Royals' single-season scoring record with 39 goals her freshman season. Both girls are kickers on the Mason County football team. Jessica is a place kicker and Rebecca kicks-off. (That's Jessica on the right and Rebecca on the left in the photo.) Push play on the flash-based media player below to hear comments from Mason County Coach Joe McKay, Asbury Coach Paul Nesselroade and Jessica and Rebecca.

Gabcast! Batey Twins Sign #0

Mason Co. 7th and 8th girls sweep McNabb

The Mason County 7th and 8th grade girls' basketball teams both beat McNabb Monday night.
Charnelle Brooks scored 15 points to lead the 7th grade team to a 42-13 win. The 8th grade team won 41-36. The 7th grade team is 13-1. Mason County hosts Bracken County tonight.

Mason County 10-0 in frosh and jayvee football conference

The Mason County freshmen and junior varsity football teams combined for a 10-0 record in conference play. The regular season ended Monday night. The Mason County junior varsity shutout Rowan County 30-0. Mason County won the freshmen game by forfeit because Rowan County had to use junior varsity players in the game. Here are the final standings and the playoff schedule:

Conference Standings
1. Mason County 10-0
2. Fleming County 7-3
3. Montgomery County 6-4
4. Harrison County 4-6
5. Rowan County 3-7
6. Bourbon County 0-10

First Round Oct. 13
Bourbon County at Rowan County
Harrison County at Montgomery County

Semifinals Oct. 20
Bourbon County/Rowan County winners at Mason County
Harrison County/Montgomery County winners at Fleming County

Championship games Oct. 27
TBA

Tolle and Huron will be on opposing teams Thursday night

Former Mason County teammates Jackson Tolle and Ray Huron will be on opposing teams Thursday night when the Georgetown College Tigers host the Kentucky Christian University Knights. Tolle is a true freshmen defensive end for Georgetown. Huron is a true freshman
offensive lineman for KCU. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Toyota Stadium.

Royals' win streak ends with 49-28 loss to Camels

The Mason County Royals three-game winning streak was snapped with a 49-28 loss to the Campbell County Camels Friday night in Alexandria. Campbell County outscored Mason County
21-7 in the third quarter after leading 21-14 at the half. The Camels rushed for 331 yards including 242 by Austin Johnson on 25 carries. Campbell County quarterback Andrew Eshman completed 12 of 14 passes for 161 yards and three touchdowns. Mason County quarterback completed 14 of 22 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns. Terrence Breckenridge had six receptions for 121 yards and one touchdown. Mason County (4-2) has an open date next week.

MC 1st Q 8:29 Jeremy Thompson 1 yard run (Jessica Batey kick)
MC 7, CC 0
CC 1st Q 3:07 Tony Bishop 8 yard pass from Andrew Eshman (Kyle Newman kick) MC 7, CC 7
CC 2nd Q 10:49 Grant Rose 3 yard run (Kyle Newman kick)
CC 14, MC 7
CC 2nd Q 5:38 Austin Johnson 2 yard run (Kyle Newman kick)
CC 21, MC 7
MC 2nd Q 2:13 Terrence Breckenridge 14 yard pass from Neal Pawsat (Jessica Batey) CC 21, MC 14
CC 3rd Q 8:56 Grant Rose 1 yard run (kick failed) CC 28, MC 14
CC 3rd Q 7:04 Tony Bishop 20 yard pass from Andrew Eshman (Kyle Newman) CC 34, MC 14
MC 3rd Q 5:59 Jeremy Thompson 10 yard run (Jessica Batey kick) CC 34, MC 21
CC 3rd Q 3:32 Grant Rose 6 yard run (Tony Bishop pass from Michael Kremer) CC 42, MC 21
CC 4th Q Tony Bishop 20 yard pass from Andrew Eshman (Kyle Newman kick) CC 49, MC 21
MC 4th Q 1:27 Bradley Lang 8 yard pass from Neal Pawsat (Jessica Batey kick) CC 49, MC 28

Lady Saints and Lady G-men tie 2-2

The St. Patrick Lady Saints and the Georgetown Lady G-men played to a 2-2 tie Thursday night. Molly Parker scored a goal with an assist from Morgan Swolsky. Grace Welte scored a goal off Parker's assist. St. Patrick (8-3-2) plays at Covington Holy Cross today at 5 p.m.

St. Patrick wins All "A" regional volleyball title

The St. Patrick Lady Saints won the All "A" regional volleyball tournament Thursday night at Deming High School. St. Patrick defeated Augusta 2-0 (25-21, 25-7) in the semifinals and Bracken County 2-1 (25-10, 18-25, 25-11) in the championship match. It is St. Patrick's second tournament title of the season. The Lady Saints won the Big Green Tournament at Dayton High School last month.

Mason Co. girls and boys win Mason Co. meet

The Mason County girls' and boys' teams swept varsity races in the Mason County All Comers cross country meet Thursday night. Valerie Rice won the girls' varsity race. Jim Meyers won the boys' varsity race. Sierra Anderson won the girls' 1600 meter run. Here is a link to the complete results.

Mason County at Campbell County tonight

The Mason County Royals, ranked No. 4 in Class 3A, take on the Class 6A Campbell County Camels tonight in Alexandria. The Royals are 4-1 after reeling off three straight district wins. Campbell County is 2-2. The Camels snapped a two-game losing streak with a 38-14 win over Conner last week. Campbell County had 470 yards of total offense. Junior quarterback Andrew Eshman completed 12 of 26 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns. The Camels' top receiver is senior Tony Bishop. He has made 26 catches for 504 yards and three touchdowns.

Austin Johnson, a 5-5, 127 pound junior is the Camels leading rusher (50 carries for 201 yards).

Mason County sophomore quarterback Neal Pawsat has completed 59 of 96 passes for 837 yards and six touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Terrence Breckenridge has 18 receptions for 339 yards and one touchdown. Sophomore wide receiver Jordan Gilbert has 13 receptions for 226 yards and three touchdowns. Senior tailback Jeremy Thompson has rushed for 528 yards and 13 touchdowns on 66 carries. Mason County and Campbell County have played one common opponent. Both teams lost to Boone County on back-to-back weeks. Mason County lost to the Rebels 28-18 in Florence on Sept. 5. Campbell County lost to Boone County 26-7 at home on Sept. 12. Campbell County beat Mason County 27-7 last season. The Royals had six turnovers in that game.

State tournament tee times set

First round tee times for the Leachman Buick-Pontiac-GMC/KHSAA girls' and boys' state golf tournament have been posted. Both tournaments will be played at Bowling Green Country Club. The girls' practice round is Monday. The first round will be played Tuesday and the final round on Wednesday. The boys' practice round is Thursday with the first round on Friday and the final round on Saturday.

Here are the tee times for the local golfers:

Mason County Lady Royals

Peyton Houchens 8:36 a.m.

Bridget Morris 8:45 a.m.

Lauren Vice 8:54 a.m.

Tiara Harris 9:30 a.m.

Christen Cropper 9:12 a.m.

Mason County Royals

Bradley Litzinger 7:42 a.m.

Josh Harris 7:51 a.m.

Tanner Walton 8:00 a.m.

Ryan Hamm 8:09 a.m.

Eric White 8:18 a.m.

Russell Rigg of St. Patrick (individual qualifier) 7:15 a.m.

The Lady Royals will start on No. 1. The Royals and Rigg will begin on No. 10.

Maysville will host two multi-sport races in 2009

Maysville will host two multi-sport races in 2009. The annual Buffalo Trails multisport races are scheduled May 23, and the Mideast Region Club Series Championship will be held August 15.
It will be the first time the MERCS Championship has been held in Kentucky.
Both dates will feature a duathlon, triathlon and 5K run. The distances will be longer for the MERCS Championship. Race Director Mark Day says the swim will be seventh-tenths of a mile,
the bike will be 25 miles and the final run will be 6.2 miles. The May race consists of a half-mile swim, 22 mile bike and 3.1 mile run. The MERCS Championship will begin at 5 p.m.
Businesses interested in sponsoring the races should contact the Maysville-Mason County Chamber of Commerce. Sponsorships, including the title sponsor, include both races.
Here is a link to the USAT Mideast Region website.

Lady Royals Blank Bryan Station 4-0

The Mason County Lady Royals shutout the Bryan Station Lady Defenders 4-0 in Lexington tonight. Carolyn Morris, Bridget Morris, Kim Shoemaker and Holly Moulis each scored a goal.
Rebacca Batey had two assists and Shoemaker had an assist.
Mason County (7-2-5) hosts West Union on Tuesday.

Chris Morris wins third tournament

Centre College sophomore Chris Morris of Maysville won his third golf tournament of the season.
Here is a link to the story.

Saints win third straight game

The St. Patrick boys' soccer team defeated the Fleming County Panthers 4-1 on Tuesday.
The Saints have won three in a row and six of their last seven games.
St. Patrick (7-3) plays at Pendleton County on Thursday.

Royals top Bearcats 5-2

The Mason County boys' soccer team rallied from a 2-1 halftime deficit to beat the Walton-Verona Bearcats 5-2 Tuesday night.
Jake Morgan and Zach Tompkins each scored two goals.
Corey Walker scored a goal. Tanner Walton had an assist.
Mason County (7-7-1) plays at Owen County on Thursday.

Mason Co. still No. 4 in Bluegrasspreps.com rankings

The Mason County Royals are ranked fourth again this week in the Bluegrasspreps.com Class 3A Football Rankings.

1. Central
2. Belfry
3. Breathitt County
4. Mason County
5. Russell
6. Sheldon Clark
7. Estill County
8. Harlan County
9. North Oldham
10. Bardstown