Morris fired a 61 in 2nd round, finishes 4th in amateur tournament

Chris Morris fired a 61 in the second round of the Oglethorpe Invivtational last week in Savannah, Ga. and finished fourth in the three-day tournament. Here are links to stories in the
Savannah Morning News.

Second round

Third round

Treg Setty getting looks from college coaches

Mason County rising junior Treg Setty has drawn the interest of several college coaches with his play this summer. Here are a couple of links to stories about Setty.



Irish Sports Daily

Jody Demling's blog

Rigg ties for 6th at Pepsi Tournament of Champions

Russell Rigg tied for sixth place in the Pepsi Tournament of Championships at Oxmoor Country Club in Louisville. Rigg shot a 75 in the final round today and had a two-day total of 154, seven shots behind the winner. Rigg qualified for the tournament by winning a Pepsi Junior Tour event at Pine Valley Golf Club on July 13.

Rick Massie addresses Royals

Former University of Kentucky and Denver Broncos wide receiver Rick Massie was the guest speaker at the Mason County football team's lunch today. Massie was the head coach at his alma mater, Bourbon County, the past three seasons. The Royals had their first morning practice today.

Lippert finishes third in N. Ky. 7-Up Junior Golf Tour Championship

Tyler Lippert shot a final round 91 today at Boone Licks Golf Course and finished third in the boys' 11 and under division of the Northern Kentucky 7-Up Junior Golf Tour Championship. Lippert had a 27-hole total of 140, 17 shots behind the champion, Paul Huber.

Rigg tied for 10th after the first round of the Pepsi Tournament of Champions

Russell Rigg shot a 79 today and is tied for 10th place after the first round of the Pepsi Tournament of Champions at Oxmoor Country Club in Louisville. Rigg is nine shots behind the leader in the boys' 15-16 division. The final two rounds of the tournament will be played Wednesday.

Tyler Lippert makes the cut at Northern Ky. 7-UP Junior Golf Tour Championship

Tyler Lippert was the only local golfer to make the cut at the Northern Kentucky Junior Golf Tour Championship Monday. Lippert shot a 49 on day one of the championship at Lassing Pointe. He trails the leader by six shots in the boys' 11 and under division. The final round will be played Tuesday at Boone Links Golf Course. Here is a link to the day one results.

Misfits win Hoop It Up World Championships

The Misfits won the Hoop It Up 3 on 3 World Championship in Louisville over the weekend. The Misfits won the Women's Open Division. The team qualified for the World Championship by winning their division in Maysville on July 11. Team members in the photo left to right are Tara Combs, Mary Klee, Katie Willinger, Emily Fulton and Margaret Klee.

(Photo credit: David Gallenstein. Here is a link to his sports photos)

Lewis scores 2 TDs but Horsemen lose 67-39

Harry Lewis scored two touchdowns, but the Kentucky Horsemen had their five-game winning streak snapped with a 67-39 road loss to the Florida Firecats in the final game of the regular season Saturday night. Lewis had a team-high eight receptions for 64 yards and one touchdown. He also ran two yards for a touchdown. The Horsemen (10-6) have qualified for the playoffs.

Blakefield qualifies for the Powerbilt Kentucky Open

Mark Blakefield qualified for the 2009 Powerbilt Kentucky Open by shooting a one-under par 71 Wednesday in a qualifying round at Lakeside Golf Course in Lexington. The 54-hole stroke play tournament will be played August 11-13 at The Club at Olde Stone in Bowling Green.

Three local golfers winners on Northern Ky's 7-Up Junior Golf Tour

Three local golfers- Tyler Lippert, Tanner Walton and Lauren Vice- were winners at the Tates Creek Golf Course tournament on Northern Kentucky's 7-Up Junior Golf Tour Tuesday. Lippert tied for first in the boys' 11 and under division with a 49. Tanner Walton shot a 79 and won the boys' 14-15 Division. Lauren Vice won the girls' Wie division with an 88. Jackson Frame was third in the boys' 12-13 division. Eric White tied for fifth place and Russell Rigg was seventh in the boys' 16-18 division. Tiara Harris was third and Christen Cropper was fifth in the girls' Annkia division. Here is a link to the results.

Treg Setty playing in Vegas this week

Mason County junior-to-be Treg Setty is playing for the Nashville Celtics AAU basketball team in the adidas Super 64 tournament in Las Vegas. The Celtics to their tournament opener Wednesday, but Setty impressed the Courier-Journal's Jody Demling who is coverning the tournament. Check out these links:

adidas Super 64 tournament website

Nashville Celtics website

Jody Demling's blog

(Photo credit: Wes Downing)

AFCA magazine includes an article about Mason County's triple screen

The summer issue of the American Football Coaches Association's quarterly magazine, Extra Point, includes an article about Mason County's triple screen. Mason County came up with the triple screen as an answer to defenses that had taken away the Royals' spread offense. According to the AFCA website, the organization has more than 10,000 members worldwide.

11:59 a.m. Wednesday is the deadline to register for Hoop It Up World Championship

11:59 a.m. Wednesday is the deadline to register for the Hoop It Up World Championships. The top four teams in each division of the Hoop It Up 3 on 3 tournament in Maysville on July 11 are eligible to participate in the World Championships Saturday and Sunday at Papa John's Stadium in Louisville. For more information, go to www.hoopitup.com.

Ludwig and Gunning win Ladies Two-Day Tourney at MCC

Peggy Ludwig and Kim Gunning birdied the first playoff hole to win the Ladies Two-Day Tournament at the Maysville Country Club Sunday. Ludwig and Gunning were tied with Lisa Houchen and Doris Brooks at the end of regulation at four-under-par 146. Rita Blakefield and Kelli Blakefield finished third at 147. The other flight winners were:

First flight, Robyn Duffy and Kelly Kendall, 154
Second flight, Sue Ellen Faris and Kim Sprouse, 166
Third flight, Kathy Butler and Christen Cropper, 174

(Edited to correct Kelly Kendall's name)

Deron Feldhaus wins Laurel Oaks Classic by three shots

Deron Feldhaus shot a five-under-par 67 today at Laurel Oaks Golf Club and won the Laurel Oaks Classic by three shots. Feldhaus began the day tied for the lead with Troy Grooms after they shot six-under 66s on Saturday. Feldhaus and Don Pollard were tied for the lead at the turn today, but Feldhaus fired a 31 on the back nine to win the tournament for the third time. He also won in 1999 and 2000. Feldhaus had a two-day total of 11-under 133. Pollard had a 136. Cousins Izzy Grayson and Matthew Grayson tied for third at 137. Two-time defending champion Shawn Armstrong finished six shots behind Feldhaus. Here is Feldhaus' scorecard today:

4 4 3 4 5 4 4 4 4-36 4 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 4-31

Here are the other flight winners:

First flight, Rick Harmon 142
Second flight, Josh Gillum 144
Third flight, Joe Bigelow 148
Fourth flight, Troy Mitchell 156
Fifth flight, Brandon Grooms 157
Sixth flight, Kevin Price 174

Lewis scores 2 TDs as Horsemen win 5th straight

Harry Lewis had seven receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns as the Kentucky Horsemen ran their winning streak to five games with a 43-34 victory over the Peoria Pirates Saturday night at Rupp Arena. Lewis had touchdown catches of 25 and 33 yards. Kentucky (10-5) closes out the regular season this Saturday at Florida.

Trivia answers

I received a couple of e-mails with a few correct answers to last month trivia quiz, but no one scored 100%. Here are the questions and answers:
1. Name the former Maysville Bulldog who holds the Earlham College single season saves record. Jay Laurie (4 saves in 1987)
2. Name the two Mason County golfers who won boys' individual state titles and the years they won. Mike Faurest in 1964 and Jim Striplin in 1972
3. What year did the Mason County boys golf team win the state championship? 1967
4. Who was the first St. Patrick basketball player to score 1,000 career points? Fanny Stahl
5. What team did the St. Patrick Saints beat for their first-ever 10th Region Tournament win?Augusta
6. What team did the Mason County Royals play in the opening game of the 1981 boys' state tournament? Shelby County
7. Thirteen Maysville Bullogs were named to the Ashland Invitational Tournament All-Tournament Team. How many can you name? Jackie Allison, George Davis, George Greene, Mark Hall, Bobby Hiles, Tony Humphrey, Bob Jones, Dwight Murphy, Cere Myrick, Allen Smith, James Smith, Mark Turner and Fred Walker.
8. Who was the first Mason County Royal named to the Ashland Invitational TournamentAll-Tournament Team? Orlando Myrick

Royals open the football season five weeks from tonight

The Mason County Royals football team will play its season opener five weeks from tonight. The Royals will host 10-time state champion Danville August 21st in the Meadowview Regional Medical Center Kickoff Classic. Here is the Mason County schedule with last season's results in parenthesis:

Aug. 21 Danville Home (Did not play)
Aug. 28 Montgomery County Home (Did not play)
Sept. 4 Open
Sept. 11 Bourbon County Away (Won 36-14)
Sept. 18 Rowan County Home (Did not play)
Sept. 25 Harrison County Away (Did not play)
Oct. 2 Lewis County Away (Won 69-0)
Oct. 9 Russell Home (Won 20-7)
Oct. 16 West Carter Away (Won 55-8)
Oct. 23 Fleming County Home (Won 38-14)
Oct. 30 Greenup County Away (Won 23-0)

Two local golf tournaments on tap this weekend

The annual Ladies two-day Golf Tournament will be played Saturday and Sunday at the Maysville Country Club. The format is two-ladies per team, best ball, combined two-day score. The field will be placed into flights following Staurday's round. The 17th Laurel Oaks Classic, a 36-hole medal play tournament for men, is Saturday and Sunday at Laurel Oaks Golf Club.

Cobras are Sub-D District 26 Champions

The Maysville Cobras, coached by Jerry Butler, are the Knothole Sub-D District 26 Champions. The Cobras went undefeated during the regular season. They won their opening game in the tournament, but had to forfeit the second game due to a misunderstanding of a rule. The Cobras came out of the losers bracket to win the tournament.

Photo courtesy of Becky Billups
(Missing from picture is player Dylan Mitchell and coach David Mitchell)

Russell Rigg wins Pepsi Tour event in E-town

Russell Rigg shot a 74 and won the boys' 15-16 division of the KGA-PGA Pepsi Junior Golf Tour's tournament at Pine Valley Golf Course in Elizabethtown by one shot Monday. With the win, Rigg qualified for the KGA-PGA Pepsi Junior Golf Tour Championship July 28-29 at Oxmoor Country Club in Louisville. Here is a link to Monday's results.

Bryan Conway Memorial Junior Golf Tournament is August 5

The Bryan Conway Memorial Junior Golf Tournament is scheduled August 5 at Kenton Station Golf Course. The tournament is for boys and girls ages 9-16. The entry fee is $8 for members of Kenton Station Golf Course amd $10 for non-members. Players must be signed up by 6 p.m. on August 2. You can sign up by calling Deron Feldhaus at 606-759-7154.

Mason Co. cross country meeting Tuesday night

The Mason County cross country program will have an informational meeting Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the U.S. Bank/Mason Co Schools Indoor Athletic Facility on Clarks Run Road. Cross country is available for athletes in grades 5-12. The first practice is Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Miller scores 8 points as the USA win the Gold

Darius Miller will bring home a gold medal from New Zealand. Miller scored eights points and the USA beat Greece 88-80 today in the gold medal game at the FIBA U19 World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand. Miller was 2-of-2 from the field and 4-of-4 on free throws. He had one rebound and three steals. The USA went 9-0 and won the championship for the first time since 1991. The team was coached by University of Pittsburgh head coach Jamie Dixon.

Photo credit: Steven Maikoski / USA Basketball

Lewis scores two touchdowns as Horsemen win by two points

Harry Lewis had seven receptions for 85 yards and two touchdowns and the Kentucky Horsemen edged the Tennessee Valley Vipers 42-40 Saturday at Rupp Arena. Lewis had touchdown receptions of 28 and 12 yards. His first catch of the game was the 100th of his pro career. The Horsemen (9-5) host the Peoria Pirates this Saturday night.

Parker Page wins Junior Chippeways

Parker Page, a senior-to-be at Ballard High School in Louisville, shot rounds of 71 and 71 Saturday to win the 41st Junior Chippeways at the Maysville Country Club. Page had a three-round total of eight-under-par 208 and edged two-time defending champion Zach Butler by one shot. Butler had two shot heading to No. 17, but finished with back-to-back bogeys while Page closed with a birdie and a par. Daniel Deluca finished third at one-under 215 and medalist Ben Simpson finished fourth at one-over 217. Ben Fister won the first flight with a 36-hole total of 153 and Josh Harris won the second flight with a 175.

Hoop It Up 3 on 3 a hit in Maysville

The photo at the top is by David Gallenstein. Here is a link to more of David's photos.

Miller scores one point as USA advances to Gold Medal Game

Darius Miller had one point, one rebound, one assist and blocked a shot as the USA beat Croatia 81-77 today to advance to the Gold Medal Game of the U19 World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand. Miller played 10 minutes. He was 1-0f-2 from the free throw line. The USA (8-0) plays Greece in the Gold Medal Game on Sunday.

Zach Butler and Ben Simpson share the lead at Junior Chippeways

Two-time defending champion Zach Butler shares the lead with Ben Simpson after the first round of the 41st Junior Chippeways at the Maysville Country Club. Butler and Simpson each shot four-under-par 68. Parker Page and Daniel DeLuca are one shot back. Corey Richmond shot a 71. Russell Rigg and Andrew Kinman both shot an even par 72. The championship flight will play 54 holes Saturday. The other flights will play 18 holes.

Lofton scores 10 points in final summer league game

Chris Lofton scored 10 points and the Boston Celtics beat New Jersey/Philadelphia 92-79 today in their final game in the Orlando Pro Summer League. Lofton was 3-of-8 from the field, including 2-of-6 on three-pointers. He was 2-of-2 from the free throw line and had one rebound and two steals. For the week, Lofton averaged 11.6 points per game. He shot 54.8% from the field, including 60% (15-of-25) from behind the arc. The summer Celtics went 2-3 in the league

Miller scores five points in USA's win over Canada

Darius Miller scored five points and had three rebounds and three assists as the USA routed Canada 93-73 today in the U19 World Championship in New Zealand. Miller also had one steal and blocked a shot. The USA (7-0) plays Croatia in the Medal semifinals Saturday. Greece and Australia meet in the other semifnal. The semfinal winners will meet in the Gold Medal Game on Sunday. The semifinal losers will play in the Bronze Game game also on Sunday.

Chris Morris finishes second in N. Ky Amateur

Chris Morris finished second in the Northern Kentucky Amateur at Lassing Pointe Golf Course in Union. Morris, the 2008 champion, had a two-round total of five-under par 137 today and lost to Jeremy Martin by one shot. Morris and Martin were co-medalists after shooting two-under 69 on the first day of the tournament on Monday. The tournament switched to match play on Tuesday and Wednesday. Morris beat No. 32 seed Doug Danner 2 and 1 on Tuesday. Morris defeated No. 17 seed Lance Lucas 2 up on Wednesday. It was back to medal play for the final two rounds today. Morris shot a 70 this morning round and a 67 this afternoon.

Photo credit: Northern Kentucky Golfers Association

(Edited to make a correction- the first round score of 69 was two-under, not three-under)

Lofton hits six 3's and scores 21 points

Chris Lofton hit six three-pointers and scored 21 points in the Boston Celtics' 91-88 loss to the Indiana Pacers tonight in the Pro Summer League in Orlando. Lofton scored 16 points in the second quarter. He is averaging 12 points a game. The Celtics close out league play Friday at 1 p.m. against a team comprised of New Jersey and Philadelphia players.

Hoop It Up crew arrives

The Hoop It Up 3 on 3 representatives and equipment have arrived in Maysville. The tournament will be played on Second Street Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. You can still register on-site at the Second Street Mall until 7 p.m. today. Online registration continues until midnight at http://www.hoopitup.com/.

Butler goes for three-peat at Junior Chippeways

Zach Butler of Lexington will be shooting for a three-peat in the 41st Junior Chippeways Golf Tournament at the Maysville Country Club. The medal-play tournament begins Friday. Butler won the 2007 tournament by five shots and the 2008 tourney by eight shots. Butler, who will join the Eastern Kentucky University golf team as a freshman this fall, qualified for the National Junior PGA Championship by winning the Kentucky PGA Junior Qualifier last month. The Junior Chippeways field will be divided into flights after Friday's first round. The championship flight will play 54 holes on Saturday. The rest of the field will play 18 holes on Saturday. The first round tee times are posted on the Junior Chippeways website.

Lofton scores 15 points in Celtics' loss

Chris Lofton made four three-pointers and scored 15 points but the Boston Celtics lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 94-82 today in the Pro Summer League in Orlando.
Lofton was 4-of-6 from the field, including 4-of-5 from behind the arc. He was 3-of-3 on free throws and had two rebounds. The Celtics (1-2) play the Indiana Pacers Thursday at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed live on http://www.celtics.com/.

Miller scores 10 points in USA win over Lithuania

Darius Miller scored 10 points and the USA beat Lithuania 76-69 today in the U19 World Championship in New Zealand. Miller was 5-of-7 from the field. He had three rebounds, three steals, two blocks and one assist. The USA is 6-0. Miller is averaging 5.2 points per game. The USA advances to the medal round quarterfinals as the Group E No. 1 seed and will face Group F No. 4 seed Canada (3-3) on Friday.

Lofton scores three points in Celtics' summer league loss

Chris Lofton played 3:52 and scored three points in the Boston Celtics' 85-82 loss to the Orlando Magic in the Pro Summer League in Orlando. The Celtics play the Oklahoma City Thunder today at 5 p.m. The game will be streamed live on http://www.celtics.com/.

(Edited to correct Lofton's point total.)

Coach Buchanan speaks at Rotary Club

Mason County football coach David Buchanan was the guest speaker at the Maysville Rotary Club today. Push play on the Flash-based player below to hear some of Buchanan's comments about this year's team and the season opener against Danville.

Gabcast! Coach Buchanan at Rotary Club #0

Miller starts and scores 4 points for USA in win over Puerto Rico

Darius Miller was in the starting lineup for the first time and scored four points as the USA beat Puerto Rico 82-61 today in the U19 World Championship in New Zealand. Miller was 2-of-3 from the field. He also had three rebounds, one steal and one block. The USA (5-0) secured the No. 1 seed for the Second Round Group E for the July 10 medal round quarterfinals. The USA concludes Second Round play Wednesday against Lithuania.

(Photo credit: Steven Maikoski/USA Basketball)

Lofton scores 8 points for Celtics in Pro Summer League opener

Chris Lofton scored eight points as the Boston Celtics routed the Utah Jazz 87-56 on the opening night of the Pro Summer League in Orlando Monday night. Lofton was 3-of-5 from the field including 2-of-4 on three-pointers. He also had two rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot. The Celtics play the Utah Jazz today at 3 p.m. The game will be streamed live on http://www.celtics.com/.

Chirs Lofton begins play in Pro Summer League tonight

Chris Lofton will play for the Boston Celtics in the Pro Summer League in Orlando beginning tonight. The Celtics play the Utah Jazz at 7 p.m. The games will be streamed live on www.celtics.com. You need Windows Media Player to watch the games.

Hoop It Up 3 on 3 registration deadline extended

(Maysville) Registration for the Hoop It Up 3 on 3 basketball tournament in Maysville has been extended until Thursday. The tournament will be played this Saturday and Sunday on the Second Street in downtown Maysville. The tournament is for ages 8 and up.
Each first through fourth place team in each age and skill division qualifies for the Hoop It World Championships in Louisville July 25-26.
You can register on line at www.hoopitup.com. On site registration is scheduled Thursday from 4 to 7 pm on the Second Street Mall in downtown Maysville.
Youth entry fees have been reduced to $100 per team for ages 8-12 and $125 per team for ages 13-18. The entry fee for adult teams is $150.
Hoop It Up 3 on 3 is America’s largest 3 on 3 basketball tour.

2nd Annual Keith Carver Memorial Tournament July 18 and 19

The 2nd Annual Keith Carver Memorial Girls' Fast Pitch Softball Tournament will be played July 18 and 19 at Wald Park. There are three age divisions- 12 and under, 14 and under, and Open. Wednesday, July 15 is the last day to register. Contact Jimmy Sanders or Mike Huff.

Miller scores two points as the USA beats Greece 85-69

Darius Miller scored two points and had two rebounds and two blocks as the USA improved to 4-0 in the U19 World Championship with an 85-69 victory over Greece today in Auckland, New Zealand. The USA plays Puerto Rico on Tuesday.

Armstrong repeat winner of Firecracker

Shawn Armstrong shot a six-under-par 64 today and won the Firecracker golf tournament at Kenton Station Golf Course for the second straight year. Armstrong had a two-day total of
17-under 123. Steve Grayson finished second five shots back. Dave Grayson, Troy Grooms, Izzy Grayson and Logan McIntosh tied for third place at 11-under. Other flight winners include:

First Flight (Tie) Joe Forman and John Kennedy 138
Second Flight Tim Veach 138
Third Flight Dirk Bertram 146
Fourth Flight Dave Holcomb 152
Fifth Flight (Tie) Bubby Mitchell, Jeremy Hamm and Scott Poague 161

Mason County football workouts begin July 13

Workouts for the Mason County varsity football team (grades 10-12) begin Monday, July 13 at 6:45 p.m. Workouts for the freshmen begin Tuesday, July 14 at 5:30 p.m. Players must have a completed physical to begin workouts. If you have any questions, call Coach David Buchanan.

Armstrong fires a 59 in the 1st round of the Firecracker

Defending champion Shawn Armstrong fired an 11-under-par 59 today in the first round of the Firecracker golf tournament at Kenton Station Golf Course. Armstrong had 10 birdies and an eagle. He has a two-shot lead over Logan McIntosh. Chris Brown and Izzy Grayson are tied for third at seven-under 63. Here is a list of the golfers who shot in the 60s:

Shawn Armstrong 59
Logan McIntosh 61
Chris Brown 63
Izzy Grayson 63
Matthew Grayson 64
Troy Grooms 64
Jerry Shawn Demint 64
Steve Grayson 65
Randy Ross 65
Dave Grayson 65
Deron Feldhaus 67
Chad Mofford 67
Don Pollard 67
Matt Little 67
Pete Wright 67
Rick Harmon 67
Fred Edwards 67
Barry McVey 67
Rick Hensley 68
John Hendrix 69
John Kennedy 69
Mark Moore 69
Denver Shumaker 69

Miller had 9 and 9 in USA win over Egypt

Darius Miller scored nine points and grabbed nine rebounds as the USA ran past Egypt 112-55 in its final preliminary round game in the U19 World Championship in New Zealand. Miller also had one assist and one block. The USA advances to the second round and will play Lithuania on Monday.

Some 500 local residents attend Maysville/Mason County Night

The Reds lost to the Cardinals 7-4 on Maysville-Mason County Night at Great American Ball Park Friday night. Maysville native Bart Conway, Regional Sales Representative for the Reds, says around 500 tickets were purchased by Maysville area residents. He said Meadowview Regional Medical Center and East Kentucky Power's Spurlock Station had big groups. My colleague Jonathan Fraysure was the Honorary Captain for the game and got to go to home plate for the pre-game meeting with the umpires and Reds coach Billy Hatcher and Cardinals manager Tony La Russa.

(Photo credit: Meredith Fraysure)

Miller scores 2 points In USA's win over France

Darius Miller scored two points and had two rebounds, two assists and two blocks in the USA's 71-55 win over France in preliminary round play at the FIBA U19 World Championship in New Zealand. The USA (2-0) wraps up preliminary round action against Egypt today at 7 p.m. A win over Egypt would give the USA the Group B No. 1 seed for the second round.

Looking forward to Maysville/Mason County Night at GABP

Even though I've been down on Major League Baseball since the 1994 World Series was cancelled by the players' strike, I am looking forward to Maysville/Mason County Night at Great American Ball Park Friday night. I have a lot of fond memories of going to the Reds' games. My first trip to Crosley Field was in 1968 or 1969 on Bat Day. The Big Red Machine days at Riverfront Stadium were fun because you just knew the home team was going to win. I got to witness Tom Seaver's 3,000th career strikeout. Dewey Rose and I marched on the Astroturf at Riverfront Stadium on Banner Day. We both made banners, but Dewey's was confiscated. The Reds were awful that season and Dewey's banner had a drawing of the Reds being gonged, ala The Gong Show. A security guard didn't see the humor in it and took the banner. Dewey helped me carry my banner. I was also on hand for Johnny Bench Night. It was a thrill to see Bench hit a home run that night. Kelly Faulkner and I made a banner that said "Maysville Loves Johnny." Leo McKay took a photo of the banner for the Ledger-Independent. A couple of years ago, I sat through a two-hour rain delay at Great American Ball Park. The game ended after midnight when Ken Griffey Jr. delivered a walk-off base hit. I've also had fun covering the Reds as a reporter. I used to go to Opening Day every year on a media pass. A couple of experiences stick out. Clint Hurdle almost ran over me when he charged away from his locker when reporters kept asking him about his poor day at the plate. He said something about the media coming back later in the season to see what he was batting. Hurdle was traded before the season was over. I remember Ken Griffey Senior being shocked to see a female reporter in the clubhouse as he strolled out of the showers buck naked. (Female reporters in the clubhouse were fairly rare back then). Griffey looked at me and asked what she was doing in there. I shrugged my shoulders, and he retreated to get a towel. One year I got the bright idea to get my hair permed after I saw Dayton Daily News beat reporter Hal McCoy with a perm. It was a stupid thing to do. My hair frizzed out and I had the perm removed the next day. Hopefully we'll see an exciting game Friday night. The Reds came from behind for a big win today. I do know I won't be changing my hair style.

(Updated to correct that Ken Griffey Jr. delivered the walk-off hit.)

Miller had 4 points, five rebounds and six steals in USA win over Iran

The USA routed Iran 106-55 in its opening game of the U19 World Championship in New Zealand. Darius Miller scored four points, grabbed five rebounds and had six steals.He also had four assists and blocked two shots. Miller played 16 minutes. He was 2-of-2 from the field. The USA led 55-27 at the half. The USA plays France Thursday at 6 p.m.

(Photo credit: Steven Maikoski / USA Basketball)

Firecracker this weekend at Kenton Station

The annual Firecracker golf tournament will be held this weekend at Kenton Station Golf Course. Shawn Armstrong won last year's Firecracker with a two-day total of 15-under-par 125.

Miller and his USA teammates play Iran this evening

Darius Miller and his USA teammates play Iran today at 6 p.m. (EDT) in the preliminary round of the FIBA U19 World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand. The USA plays France Thursday at 6 p.m. and Egypt Friday at 7 p.m. If you are willing to pay a fee, you can watch the games live online at www.FIBAtv.com