Baseball and softball district tournament pairings

The draws for the 39th District baseball and softball tournaments were held today. Here are the pairings:

39th District Baseball tournament at Mason County

Monday, May 18
5 p.m. Bracken County vs. St. Patrick
7 p.m. Mason County vs. Augusta

Tuesday, May 19
6 p.m. championship game

39th District softball tournament at Bracken County

Tuesday, May 19
5 p.m. St. Patrick vs. Augusta
6:30 p.m. Mason County vs. Bracken County

Wednesday, May 20
6:30 p.m. championship game

Mason County boys' and girls' tennis teams lose to Campbell County

The Mason County boys' and girls' tennis teams both lost to Campbell County Wednesday. The Royals lost three matches to none. The Lady Royals lost four matches to two. Bridgit Morris won her singles match and teamed up with her sister, Carolyn Morris, to win a doubles match.

Lady Saints lose in All "A" semifinals

The St. Patrick Lady Saints lost to the Nicholas County Lady Jackets 5-0 Wednesday in the semifinals of the All "A" 10th Region tournament. The loss snapped the Lady Saints' six-game winning streak. St. Patrick (8-2) plays at Ripley on Monday.

Lady Royals 2nd, Royals 4th in Area 7 Championships

The Mason County Lady Royals finished second and the Royals took fourth place in the Area 7 Championships Tuesday at Greenup County. First place finishes by Mason County athletes include:

• Sierra McDaniel, girls' 100 meter dash (13.80) and girls' 200 meter dash (28.37);
• Ashley Deatley, girls' 400 meter dash (1:04.60);
• Valerie Rice, girls' 800 meter run (2:35.20);
• Malcolm Jones, boys' 100 meter dash (11.92);
• The girls' 400x100 meter relay team of Andreana Bennett, Sierra McDaniel, Katie Redmond and Madison Paver (55.32);
• The boys' 4x100 meter relay team of Akeem Jackson, Terrance Breckenridge, Brandon Jackson and Malcolm Jones (45.64);
• the boys' 4x200 meter relay team of Colt Fearis, Terrance Breckenridge, Josh Harris and Westin Stahl (1:33.45);

Here is a link to the results.

River Valley Challenge Saturday at Town and Country Lanes

The River Valley Challenge will be held Saturday beginning at noon at Town and Country Lanes in Aberdeen. PBA members Brian Himmler, Brian Kretzer and Riga Kalfas are expected to compete along with other regional PBA members from Ohio, Kentucky and West Virgina. The first place prize is $1,000. The public is invited to attend. Admission is free. Here is a link to the tournament web page.

Chris Morris named to the All-SCAC men's golf team

Centre College sophomore Chris Morris of Maysville has been named to the All-Southern Athletic Conference men's golf team. Morris tied for 17th place in the conference tournament. He won the Old Bridge Invitational on April 18.

Lady Saints advance in All "A" Region with 16-1 win

The St. Patrick Lady Saints defeated the Augusta Lady Panthers 16-1 in four innings in the quarterfinal round of the All "A" 10th Region Tournament Tuesday. The Lady Saints (8-1) have won six straight games. St. Patrick advances to the semifinals to play the Nicholas County Lady Jackets. The game is scheduled today at 4:45 at Nicholas County, but the weather does not look promising. Bracken County and Paris meet in the other semifinal.

Turkey newspaper story about Lofton's 61-point game

Wondering what they are saying in Turkey about Chris Lofton's 61-point game? Here is a link to a report in the English version of the Hurriyet Daily News.

Q and A with Chris Lofton after 61-point game

I e-mailed questions to Chris Lofton after his 61-point game Saturday in the Turkish Basketball League. Lofton hit 17 three-pointers in the 116-70 victory. He e-mailed his answers to me.

Courtside: Did you have any idea in warmups that you were going to have a big scoring game?
Lofton: Not really. It was a big game for us to secure a playoff spot.

Courtside: How early in the game did you start feeling it?
Lofton: I was getting good looks from the start of the game, and the basket got big.

Courtside: How did the other team try to defend you?
Lofton: Man to man.

Courtside: Did you know how many three's you had hit and how many points you had during the game?
Lofton: Teammates were telling me. We have a scoreboard with it in our gym, but I wasn't really paying attention.

Courtside: What did your coach and teammates say about the game?
Lofton: It was just exciting to win the game because it secured a playoff spot. My team has never been in the playoffs before.

Courtside: How did the crowd react?
Lofton: Going crazy.

Courtside: Has the media made a big deal about you scoring 61 points?
Lofton: They have lately, did some phone interviews

Courtside: What is the playoff picture for your team?
Lofton: We will probably get the 7th seed, could move up though.

Correction- Football player and parent meeting May 21

A meeting for Mason County football players and their parents is scheduled Thursday, May 21 at 7 p.m. at the Mason County football field. The meeting is for all players in grades 9-12 for the 2009 season and their parents.

(Edited to correct the date of the meeting)

Lewis scores one TD as Horsemen even record at 2-2

Harry Lewis had four receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown as the Kentucky Horsemen evened their record at 2-2 with a 56-38 win over the Milwaukee Iron Saturday night. Lewis caught a 10-yard pass from Jared Lorenzen in the first quarter for Kentucky's first touchdown.
For the season, Lewis has 24 receptions for 262 yards and five touchdowns. The Horsemen play the Peoria Pirates this Saturday in Peoria, IL.

Lady Royals edged out by Russell, Royals 4th at Ashland meet

The Mason County Lady Royals finished second (six and a half points behind Russell) and the Royals took fourth place at the Ashland track and field meet Saturday. First place finishes by Mason County athletes include:

• Sierra McDaniel, girls' 100 meter dash (13.28);


• Valerie Rice, girls' 800 meter run (2:35.87) and girls' 1600 meter run (5:45.63);


• Ashley Deatley, girls' 400 meter dash (1:04.39);


• Girls' 4x100 meter relay team of Madison Paver, Sierra McDaniel, Andreana Bennett and Katie Redmond (54.04 )


• Josh Harris, boys' 400 meter dash (52.83);


• Seth Adkins, boys' 200 meter dash (22.61)


• Boys' 4x200 meter relay team of Seth Adkins, Terrance Breckenridge, Josh Harris and Westin Stahl (school record time of 1:32.81);


• Boys' 4x100 meter relay team of Seth Adkins, Terrance Breckenridge, Xavia Shurn and Colt Fearis (45.95)

The girls' 4x800 meter relay team of Sarah Bellingham, Raylee Kirkland, Valerie Rice and Julia Woods finished second in a school record time of 10:45.03. Raylee Kirkland finished fifth in the pole vault with a school record vault of seven feet.

Lofton scores 61 points to lead Mersin BSB.

Chris Lofton made 17 three-pointers and scored a career-high 61 points to lead Mersin BSB. to a 116-70 win over CASA TED Kolejliler today in the Turkish Basketball League. Lofton was 17-of-22 on three-point shots, 4-of-6 on two-point shots and 2-of-2 from the free throw line. He had three rebounds and four assists. Today's 61-point performance increased Lofton's scoring average by almost two points to 20.08 points per game- third best in the league. He has scored 502 points this season. Mersin BSB. has two games left in the regular season. Lofton's previous career-high as a professional was 47 points against Fenerbahce Ulker on Feb. 8.


(Updated with stats and points per game ranking update)

Jackson Tolle has two sacks and four tackles in spring game

Sophomore-to-be Jackson Tolle had two sacks, four tackles and forced a fumble in the Georgetown College spring football game last night. The Black team defeated the Orange team 54-48. Tolle, a defensive end, was on the Black team. Georgetown opens the season Aug. 29 against William Penn in the Big River Bowl in Dyersburg, Tenn.

Photo credit: Drew Purcell

The Royals to host the Spectrum Grafx Classic

The Mason County Royals will host the Spectrum Grafx Classic tonight and Saturday. Here is the schedule:

Tonight
6:15 Russell vs. Beechwood
8:30 Ashland vs. East Jessamine

Saturday
10 a.m. Mason County vs. Russell
12:15 p.m. Russell vs. East Jessamine
2:30 p.m. Beechwood vs. East Jessamine
4:45 p.m. Ashland vs. Beechwood
7 p.m. Mason County vs. Ashland

Lady Royals to play in the Bulldog Bash

The Mason County Lady Royals will play in the Bulldog Bash tonight and Saturday at the Covington Sports Complex in Latonia. The tournament is hosted by the Holmes Lady Bulldogs.
Here is the schedule for the Lady Royals:

Tonight
7:15 vs. Newport Central Catholic on Field 2
9:00 vs. Holy Cross on Field 2

Saturday
11 a.m. vs. Pendleton County on Field 1
2:30 p.m. Holmes on Field 1

St. Patrick girls' and boys' tennis teams beat Mason County

The St. Patrick girls' and boys' tennis teams defeated Mason County Thursday. The Lady Saints beat the Lady Royals five matches to four. The Saints swept six matches against the Royals.

Jeremy Thompson and Ryan Foley sign with Campbellsville University

Mason County tailback Jeremy Thompson (left) and free safety Ryan Foley (right) both signed today to play football at Campbellsville University. Thompson,who was a finalist for Mr. Football, had a record setting senior season. He set school records for rushing yards in a season (1,603), rushing touchdowns in a season (31) and points in a season (196). Thompson is second on the Royals' all-time list in career total touchdowns, second in total touchdowns in a season, second in career points, second in career rushing touchdowns and third in career rushing yards.

Mason County Coach David Buchanan says Thompson has always had ability "but to have done what he did this past season, his attitude, he did a complete 180. And I'm just so proud of him and the way that he worked."

Foley had three interceptions in each of the past two seasons. Buchanan says in a lot of situations, Foley could have been the premier offensive guy on his team because he is fast.

"He could have been the number one wide receiver, he could have been the number one tailback," Buchanan said. "For Mason County football to be successful, he needed to be our free safety. And he did a tremendous job of that."

Two other Mason County seniors- Terrance Breckenridge and Adam Cooper- signed last month to play football at Campbellsville University.

Keith Downing signs with Transylvania University

Mason County senior Keith Downing signed today to play basketball at Transylvania University. Downing averaged 6.7 points per game this season. He was the Royals' best defender. Mason County Coach Chris O'Hearn says Downing is probably the most competitive player he has ever coached "and it really showed the way he played the game and the passion that he played with and just the energy he brought to the floor and brought to our program." Downing was named to the Honorable Mention All Region Team. He picked Transy over Thomas More and Centre.

Russ Middleton selected as a Kentucky All-Star

Mason County senior Russ Middleton has been selected to play for the Kentucky All-Star team in the annual series against the Indiana All-Stars. Tryouts were held last weekend at Campbellsville University. Middleton was named Most Valuable Player of the East All-Stars in the KABC East/West Charity All-Star Game and was a co-MVP in the Ohio-Kentucky All-Star game. The Kentucky-Indiana All-Star Classic games will be played June 13 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and June 14 at Bellarmine University in Louisville. Here is the Kentucky All-Star team roster:

Jon Hood, Madisonville-North Hopkins (Mr. Basketball)
Darren Ballou, Adair County
DeLon Butler, Apollo
Ethan Faulkner, Elliott County
Evan Faulkner, Elliott County
Cory Jackson, Shawnee
Russ Middleton, Mason County
C. J. Penny, Anderson County
Vee Sanford, Lexington Catholic
Corey Wilford, Christian County
Aaron Wilson, Fulton City
Ridge Wilson, Central

Head Coach – Tony Hopper, Apollo
Assistant Coach – Mike Listerman, Covington Catholic

Wet spring = few baseball and softball games

The rainy, cool spring has played havoc with the high school baseball and softball schedules. The Mason County Lady Royals softball team has had six games called off including yesterday's home game against Campbell County. The game started and then the rain came with two out in the top of the first inning. Nine Mason County baseball games have been cancelled due to rain or wet field conditions. The St. Patrick baseball and softball teams haven't had as many games cancelled by the weather because their early season schedules were light due to spring break and Holy Week. Still, the St. Patrick baseball team has only played five games. The St. Patrick softball team has played eight games and has won seven of them. The good news is the forecast calls for sunshine and much warmer temperatures beginning tomorrow.

Chris Morris leads Centre College to victory

Chris Morris fired a four-under-par 68 to claim medalist honors and led Centre College to a victory in the Old Bridge Invitational Saturday at Old Bridge Golf Course in Danville. Morris was named to the All-Tournament team.

Kasey Litzinger signs to play basketball at Lindsey Wilson College

Former Mason County Lady Royal standout Kasey Litzinger signed today to play basketball at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia. Litzinger, a 2008 graduate of Mason County High School, is fifth on the Lady Royals' all-time scoring list with 1,572 points. She averaged 11.2 points per game her senior season. Here is a link to a story about her signing on the Lindsey Wilson website.

Jordan Gilbert on AAU tournament championship team

Mason County sophomore Jordan Gilbert is the point guard for the Shining Stars-Pittman team that won the Grassroots Shootout over the weekend. Here is a link to the story on Jody Demling's blog.

Lofton scores 19 points in Mersin BSB. win

Chris Lofton scored 19 points and Mersin BSB. snapped a two-game losing streak with an 82-74 win over Pinar Karsiyaka Saturday in the Turkish Basketball League. Mersin BSB. is 14-13 with three games left in the regular season. Lofton is sixth in the league in points per game (18.38).

Lewis scores two touchdowns, but Horsemen lose 68-62

Harry Lewis had 11 receptions for 123 yards and two touchdowns, but the Kentucky Horsemen lost to the Florida Firecats 68-62 in an af2 game Saturday night in Florida. Lewis had an 18-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter and a 27-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter.
The Horsemen (1-2) host the Milwauke Iron this Saturday night.

Russell Rigg qualifies for AAU National Championships

St. Patrick sophomore Russell Rigg qualified for the Amateur Athletic Union National Championships by finishing fourth in the Kentucky District AAU Golf Qualifier Saturday at Shawnee Golf Course in Louisville. Rigg shot a 10-over par 80. The top six advance to the AAU National Championships August 2-5 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Oxmoor Valley in Birmingham, Al.

Mason Co. girls tie for 1st, boys 4th at Bryan Station

The Mason County girls' track and field team tied for first place, and the Mason County boys took fourth place at the Bryan Station Invitational Saturday. Event winners include the girls' 4x400 meter relay team of Valerie Rice, Iretta Carpenter, Madison Paver and Mary Stewart (4:34.64), and Raylee Kirkland in the girls' pole vault (6-06.00). The boys' 4x200 meter relay team of Seth Adkins, Terrance Breckenridge, Josh Harris and Westin Stahl set a school record with a time of 1:32.97 and finished second. The girls' 4x400 meter relay team was just one second off the school record. Here is a link to the results.

(Edited to list Westin Stahl on the boys' 4x200 meter relay team. Stahl ran in place of Malcolm Jones.)

Cheryl Rutherford on National Champion KCU team

Kentucky Christian University won the National Christian College Athletic Association Division II championship last month. Former St. Patrick player Cheryl Rutherford is a member of the team. Rutherford, a 5-10 sophomore forward, averaged 5.4 points and 3.4 rebounds a game for the Lady Knights. KCU defeated Southwestern Christian University 70-62 in the national championship game on March 14. Rutherford scored 10 points in the championship game. It is KCU's 12th national title and the sixth in seven years.

Hoop It Up 3 on 3 Kentucky circuit begins next month, stops in Maysville in July

Here is the press release:

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The largest 3 on 3 basketball tour in the world will kick off its Kentucky circuit of five tournaments May 16-17 in Danville.
The other Hoop It Up Kentucky tournaments will be played in London June 6-7; Elizabethtown June 20-21; Louisville June 27-28; and Maysville July 11-12.
The World Championships are scheduled for Louisville July 25-26.
The tournaments are for males and females of all ages and abilities for Kentucky teams or teams from surrounding states. As part of the Team Kentucky tour, participants will be offered a discounted team fee for competing in all five tournaments.
Each team that participates in the entire Kentucky circuit and qualifies for the World Championships by placing first through fourth place in any one of the Team Kentucky tour events will be granted a free entry into the World Championships.
For more details about the tour and to register, visit www.hoopitup.com or call 1-888-997-PLAY.

Mason, Barner and Hamilton to play in Gene Lowe Junior All-Star Game

Stephen Mason of St. Patrick, Phil Barner of Mason County and Dylan Hamilton of Bracken County have been selected to play in the 7th Annual Gene Lowe Junior All-Star Game. Former Maysville and Fleming County Coach Bob Hall will be an honorary coach. Here is a press release on the game:

The Gene Lowe Junior All-Star game will be held on Sunday April 26, 2009 on the beautiful campus of Berea College. This all-star game will feature the top juniors (seniors-to-be) of your respective regions. We will be combining the top 6 juniors from the 10th and 12th Regions to make up the visiting team and the top 6 juniors from the 11th and 13th to make up the home team.
The game will tip off at 2:00 in the Seabury Center. College coaches have been notified of the event and will be in attendance. Admission price will be $3.00 per person. There will be a 3-point shooting contest along with a dunk contest during halftime of the game.
This year’s game will mark the 7th Annual Gene Lowe Junior All-Star game. This event first began in 2003 in memory of Gene Lowe, owner/operator of Lowe’s Sporting Goods in London-Corbin. During his career, he was known for giving back to the community. In honor of his legacy, the family has continued through the All-Star game in promoting the student-athletes of Kentucky.

Mason County tennis teams lose to Harrison County

The Mason County boys' and girls' tennis teams lost to Harrison County Wednesday. The Royals lost three matches to one. Bobby Paver and Eric White won in doubles. The Lady Royals lost four matches to two. Carolyn Morris won her singles match. Morris and Holly Moulis won a doubles match.

Middle School football teams' Blue-White scrimmage Friday

The Mason County Middle School football teams will have a Blue-White scrimmage Friday after school at the practice field. Players in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades will participate. The scrimmage will wrap up a week of spring practice for the middle school teams.

Miranda Hales hitting .333 for Berea College

Miranda Hales is hitting .333 for the Berea College softball team. Hales, a junior from Maysville, is a center fielder. She has played in all 14 games. Hales is 14 for 42 with four doubles and three RBI. She has scored nine runs. Hales also plays basketball at Berea College.

Korey Shotwell named an All-Star by the Cincinnati Enquirer

Campbell County junior Korey Shotwell of Maysville was named a Kentucky Wrestling All-Star by the Cincinnati Enquirer Sunday. Shotwell was the Region 6 champion in the 140-pound class. He finished third in the state tournament and had a record of 59-4 this season. This is the third time Shotwell has been named an All-Star by the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Lady Royals turn triple play

The Mason County Lady Royals turned a triple play in their loss to Harrison County Saturday in the Bracken County/Webber Farms Invitational. Third baseman Sarah Mitchell caught a line drive. Runners on first and second had taken off on contact. Mitchell threw to second baseman Bethany Foister for the second out, and Foister threw on to first baseman Hilary Doyle to complete the triple play.

Middleton a co-MVP of Kentucky All-Star team

Mason County senior Russ Middleton was named a co-MVP after Kentucky beat Ohio 100-91 in the annual Ohio-Kentucky All-Star Game Saturday. Here is a link to Jody Demling's blog report on the game.

Mason County boys 2nd, girls 4th and Ashley Deatley sets school record

The Mason County boys took second place, the Mason County girls finished fourth and Mason County junior Ashley Deatley set a school record in the girls' 400 meter dash Saturday at the Rowan County Invitational. Deatley finished second in the 400 meter dash in a time of 1:04.31. First place finishes by Mason County athletes include:

• Malcolm Jones, boys' 100 meter dash (12.03)
• Seth Adkins, boys' 200 meter dash (23.84)
• Sierra McDaniel, girls' 200 meter dash (27.98)
• Boys' 4x200 meter relay team of Seth Adkins, Terrance Breckenridge, Josh Harris and Malcolm Jones (1:33.51)
• Boys' 4x100 meter relay team of Seth Adkins, Terrance Breckenridge, Brandon Jackson and Malcolm Jones (45.97)

Here is a link to the complete results.

Russ Middleton named to all-state teams, Treg Setty honorable mention

Mason County senior Russ Middleton received two all-state honors today. Middleton was named to the Lexington Herald-Leader first team and to the Louisville Courier-Journal second team. Mason County sophomore Treg Setty received honorable mention for the Courier-Journal All-State Team.

Herald-Leader

Courier-Journal

Lewis scores a TD as Horsemen win home opener

Harry Lewis had three receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown as the Kentucky Horsemen won their home opener over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers 63-56 Saturday night at Rupp Arena. Lewis caught a 22 yard touchdown pass from Jared Lorenzen in the second quarter.
The Horsemen evened their record at 1-1. The Horsemen are back on the road this week to play the Florida Firecats. Kentucky's next home game is April 25.

Lofton scores 22 points in Mersin BSB. loss

Chris Lofton scored a game-high 22 points, but Mersin BSB. lost to Erdemirspor 83-79 today in the Turkish Basketball League. Mersin BSB. has lost two straight games. There are four games left in the regular season.

Mason County tennis teams lose to Deming

The Mason County tennis teams lost to Deming at home Thursday. The girls' lost five matches to one. Holly Moulis and Kayla Barnoski won their doubles matches. The boys' lost their only match. Eric White won an exhibition match.

Royals to play in East Jessamine Tournament

The Mason County Royals are scheduled to play three games in the East Jessamine Tournament. Here is the schedule:

Tonight
6:00 Pendleton County vs. East Jessamine
8:00 Mason County vs. East Jessamine

Saturday
10:00 a.m. Pendleton County vs. Boyle County
12:30 p.m. Mason County vs. Pendleton County
3:00 p.m. Mason County vs. Boyle County

Lady Royals to play in Bracken Co./Webber Farms Invitational

The Mason County Lady Royals will play in the Bracken County/Webber Farms Invitational this weekend. The tournament begins with pool play. Here are the pools and the schedule:

Pool A
Bracken County
East Carter
Simon Kenton

Pool B
Harrison County
Scott
Mason County

Friday
6:00 p.m. East Carter vs. Simon Kenton
7:30 p.m. Harrison County vs. Scott
9:00 p.m. Bracken County vs. East Carter

Saturday
9:00 a.m. Mason County vs. Harrison County
10:30 a.m. Bracken County vs. Simon Kenton
12:00 p.m. Mason County vs. Scott
1:30 p.m. Pool A #3 vs. Pool B #1
3:00 p.m. Pool B #3 vs. Pool A #1
4:30 p.m. Pool A #2 vs. 1:30 p.m. game winner
6:00 p.m. Pool B #2 vs. 3:00 p.m. game winner
7:30 p.m. Championship game- 4:30 p.m. game winner vs. 6:00 p.m. game winner

Lady Royals are No. 12 in first track and field rankings of the season

The Mason County Lady Royals are No. 12 in the KyTrackXC.com Class AA rankings. This is the first week of the rankings. Several Mason County athletes are ranked in their respective events:

• Iretta Carpenter, 3rd in the girls' 100 meter hurdles and 5th in the girls' 300 meter hurdles
• Madison Paver, 4th in the girls' 100 meter hurdles
• Sierra McDaniel, 7th in the girls' 100 meter dash
• Seth Adkins, 4th in the boys' 200 meter dash

The girls' 4x100 meter relay team of Sarah Anderson, Katie Redmond, Andreanna Bennett and Madison Paver is ranked 7th, and the girls' 4x800 meter relay team of Valerie Rice, Julia Woods, Raylee Kirkland and Sarah Bellingham is ranked 8th.

Here are links to the rankings:

Girls' Class AA

Boys' Classs AA

Baseball quiz answers

Here are the answers to my baseball quiz I posted Saturday:

1. What year did the Maysville Bulldogs win the state baseball championship? 1958
2. Who was the head coach of that state championship team? Woody Crum
3. Allen Smith was the star pitcher of the state championship team. Where did he play his college baseball? LSU
4. Name the Mason County basketball and baseball star who was drafted by the New York Mets.
Ronnie Lyons
5. Name the Maysville native who served as the Cincinnati Reds' team doctor for many years.
George Ballou
6. What year did the Mason County Royals win their only 10th Region baseball championship?
1994
7. Name the former relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds who was born in Maysville.
Dave Tomlin
8. Name the Major League all-star baseball player who often visited his aunt in Maysville.
Al Oliver
9. Name the former Maysville High School baseball star who is a member of the Morehead State University Athletics Hall of Fame. Homer Cablish Jr.
10. Name the former local high school basketball coach and current Maysville resident who was a baseball teammate of Woodie Fryman before Fryman signed a professional contract. Bob Hall
11. In what Major League Baseball organization did Allen Feldhaus play minor league baseball in the 1960s? Washington Senators
12. Name the Baseball Hall of Famer who began his professional career with Maysville in the Blue Grass League. Casey Stengel
13. What was the nickname of the Maysville team in the Blue Grass League? Rivermen
14. Name the former Cincinnati Reds' coach who used to sale his tobacco (and maybe still does) in Maysville. Don Gullett
15. What historic event happened on Maysville-Mason County night at Riverfront Stadium in the 1980s? Pete Rose became the all-time hit leader with hit number 4,192

Chris Morris leads NCAA Division III with lowest average

Centre College golfer Chris Morris has the lowest average in NCCA Division III according to Golfstat.com. Morris, a sophomore from Maysville, is averaging 70.80 shots per round. Morris finished in the Top 15 in the Jeykll Island Golf Tournament last month. Morris is the captain of the Centre College men's golf team. The Colonels' next match is this weekend at Glenross/Oakhaven in Ohio.

Lofton had 12 points in one point loss

Chris Lofton scored 12 points as Mersin BSB. lost to Galatasaray Cafe Crown 86-85 Saturday in the Turkish Basketball League. The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for Mersin BSB.
The team's next game is this Saturday. Lofton is seventh in the league in points per game with an average of 18.18.

White Station, coached by Jesus Patino, wins Class AAA state title in Tennessee

White Station High School of Memphis, coached by former Maysville resident Jesus Patino, won the Tennessee Class AAA boys state basketball title last month. White Station defeated Raleigh-Egypt 64-61 in overtime. Patino is the adopted son of the late Doug Hines who coached the Maysville Bulldogs in the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons. Patino coached the middle school team at Maysville. He and his wife, the former Hannah Horch, have two children. Here is a link to a story on the championship game in the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Mason County track and field teams compete in the Tates Creek Open

The Mason County track and field teams took part in their first outdoor meet of the season Saturday at the Tates Creek Open. Mason County won the boys' middle school meet and finished fifth in the girls' middle school meet. Mason County was third in the girls' high school meet and ninth in the boys' high school meet. First place finishes by Mason County athletes include:

High School

• Katie Redmond, girls' 3200 meter run (13:17.80)
• Iretta Carpenter, girls' 300 meter hurdles (51.53 )
• Jim Myers boys' 3200 meter run (11:05.73)

Middle School

• Tee King boys' 100 meter dash (12.30)
• Tee King boys' high jump (4-10.00)
• Nick Robinson boys' 800 meter run (2.24.44)
• Nick Robinson boys' 1600 meter run (5.25.81)
• Cara Woods girls' 3200 meter run (15.42.31)
• Boys' 4x100 meter relay (55.55)
• Boys' 4x200 meter relay (1:56.86)

Here are links to the results:

High School Boys

High School Girls

Middle School Boys

Middle School Girls

Jerry King Day in Maysville

Today was proclaimed Jerry King Day in Maysville by Mayor David Cartmell. A community reception was held at the VFW Hall. King was honored for his athletic accomplishments as well as his devotion to his family, friends, church and community. King will be inducted into the Legends Club at the Worth Softball Hall of Fame in Columbus, Ohio in July and the National Softball Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, OK. in October. King's family, friends, former teammates and community leaders attended today's reception. King received a key to the city and was named a Kentucky Colonel. He also received awards from the Maysville Police Department (he is a retired Maysville police officer) and the Mason County Chapter of the NAACP. King's siblings presented him with a special edition Jerry King Louisville Slugger bat. King was an all state basketball and baseball player on the first teams at Mason County High School. He was a U.S. Marine and served in Vietnam. When he returned home, he played basketball at Morehead State University and then began playing softball throughout the nation. He was a prodigious home run hitter for elite teams. Here is a video of some of the highlights of today's reception:

Baseball trivia time

The Major League Baseball season begins Sunday night, so it's a good time to play some baseball trivia with a local flavor. Send me an e-mail with your answers to courtside@maysvilleky.net.
I will list the answers on the blog in a few days.

1. What year did the Maysville Bulldogs win the state baseball championship?
2. Who was the head coach of that state championship team?
3. Allen Smith was the star pitcher of the state championship team. Where did he play his college baseball?
4. Name the Mason County basketball and baseball star who was drafted by the New York Mets.
5. Name the Maysville native who served as the Cincinnati Reds' team doctor for many years.
6. What year did the Mason County Royals win their only 10th Region baseball championship?
7. Name the former relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds who was born in Maysville.
8. Name the Major League all-star baseball player who often visited his aunt in Maysville.
9. Name the former Maysville High School baseball star who is a member of the Morehead State University Athletics Hall of Fame.
10. Name the former local high school basketball coach and current Maysville resident who was a baseball teammate of Woodie Fryman before Fryman signed a professional contract.
11. In what Major League Baseball organization did Allen Feldhaus play minor league baseball in the 1960s?
12. Name the Baseball Hall of Famer who began his professional career with Maysville in the Blue Grass League.
13. What was the nickname of the Maysville team in the Blue Grass League?
14. Name the former Cincinnati Reds' coach who used to sale his tobacco (and maybe still does) in Maysville.
15. What historic event happened on Maysville-Mason County night at Riverfront Stadium in the 1980s?

White team wins spring game 30-16

Two touchdowns by the defense in the first half helped the White team beat the Blue team 30-16 in the Mason County Royals' annual spring game this afternoon. Bradley Lang returned an interception 65 yards for a touchdown and Tyler Black returned a fumble 65 yards for a touchdown. Neal Pawsat was the quarterback for both teams. He threw two touchdowns for the Blue team and one for the White team. Here is the scoring summary:

White 1st Q 4:11 Bradley Lang 65 yard interception return (kick failed) White 6, Blue 0
White 2nd Q 5:25 Tyler Black 65 yard fumble return (Mackenzie Bennett kick) White 14, Blue 0
Blue 2nd Q 1:34 Malcolm Jones 21 yard pass from Neal Pawsat (Jordan Gilbert kick) White 14, Blue 8
White 2nd Q 00:09 Tyler Black 6 yard pass from Neal Pawsat (Mackenzie Bennett kick) White 22, Blue 8
White 4th Q 7:13 Josh Harris 6 yard run (Mackenzie Bennett kick) White 30, Blue 8
Blue 4th Q 4:32 Jordan Gilbert 27 yard pass from Neal Pawsat (Jordan Gilbert kick) White 30, Blue 16

(PATs were worth two points)

Here is a video of Tyler Black's fumble return and post-game comments by Coach David Buchanan:

Mason County boys' and girls' tennis teams beat Bourbon County

The Mason County boys' and girls' tennis teams both defeated Bourbon County in Paris Wednesday. The boys won all six of their matches. Jackson Gossard, Eric White, Bobby Paver and Duncan Wood won singles matches. Doubles winners were Gossard and White, and Paver and Wood. The girls won four matches to two. Carolyn Morris, Taylor Sargent, Bridgit Morris and Holly Moulis won singles matches.

Calipari will bring Dribble-Drive offense to Kentucky

New University of Kentucky men's basketball coach John Calipari says he will implement the Dribble-Drive offense at UK. I would expect many high school coaches to use the offense, much like when "Pitino Ball" became the rage after Rick Pitino brought his pressing defense and three-point shooting offense to the Bluegrass state. Calipari explained the Dribble-Drive offense during his press conference this morning.
"You know the old game of pass, pass, pass? This is dribble, dribble dribble," Calipari said. "This is take your man. This unleashes players. This lets players get to the level they want."
But the new coach had a warning for the UK players.
"I just told the team, 'if you cannot play, come and see me 'cause this is not the right program 'cause I can't hide you. You have to be able to put it on the floor and make basketball plays and do things. If you can, you're in heaven. If you can't, it's hard to play you. '"
The Mason County Royals used what Coach Chris O'Hearn called "a scaled down version" of the Dribble-Drive offense this past season. O'Hearn says the Royals used the basic parts of the offense after assistant coach Kelly Carwile attended one of Calipari's clinics in Memphis last year.

Mason County boys' and girls' tennis teams lose to Paris

The Mason County boys' and girls' tennis teams both lost to Paris Tuesday in Paris. The Royals lost three matches to one. Eric White won his match 6-1. The Lady Royals lost all nine matches.