Maysville Classic continues Sunday

The Maysville Classic (formerly the Maysville Dirt Bowl) got underway today and continues Sunday at the Lady Royals Gym downtown. Chris Lofton, Perry Stevenson, Ramon Harris and Micah Turner are among the former college players playing in the tournament. Several former high school players are also playing. Sunday's first game begins at 11 a.m.

Royals wrap up a week of practice and compete discount card fundraiser

The Mason County football team wrapped up what Coach David Buchanan calls the first week of "official" practice this morning. The team will have its first practice in pads Monday morning. The Royals also completed their discount card fundraiser. Mason County will host Ashland for a scrimmage August 13. The season opener is August 20 at Danville. Push play on the Flash-based player below to listen to a portion of my interview with Coach Buchanan follwing today's practice.


Gabcast! Coach Buchanan preseason interview #0

Mason Co. Lady Royals soccer schedule

Aug. 6 Montgomery Co. (scrimmage) Away JV/Varsity 5:30
Aug. 12 Latin (scrimmage) Away Varsity/JV 5:30
Aug. 17 Bryan Station Away Varsity/JV 6:00
Aug. 19 Rowan Co. Home Varsity/JV 5:30
Aug. 23 Fleming Co. Away Varsity/JV 5:30
Aug. 30 Ripley Away Varsity 5:00
Sept. 1 Latin Home Varsity/JV 5:30
Sept. 7 West Carter Away Varsity/JV 5:30
Sept. 13 Holmes Home Varsity 6:00
Sept. 14 East Carter Away Varsity 5:30
Sept. 16 Fleming Co. Home Varsity/JV 5:30
Sept. 21 West Union Away Varsity 4:30
Sept. 23 St. Patrick Home Varsity 5:30
Sept. 27 Pendleton Co. Home Varsity/JV 5:30
Sept. 29 Dayton Away 5:30
Oct. 5 West Union Home Varsity 7:00
Oct. 7 West carter Home Varsity 6:00

Tryouts for Mason Co. Middle School girls basketball teams set for August 13

Here is the announcement from Mason County Middle School Athletic Director Jeff McEldowney:

Tryouts for the Mason County Middle School girls basketball teams will be held Friday, August 13 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Fieldhouse. Tryouts will be open to girls in grades six, seven and eight. There will be an open gym scheduled Thursday, August 12 at the Fieldhouse from 6 to 7:30 p.m. All girls that will be attending the tryouts must have a current Mason County athletic physical on file at the middle school. Completed physicals will be accepted the night of the tryouts.

Walton 3rd, Rigg 4th and Harris 3rd in Northern Kentucky 7-UP Junior Golf Tour Championship

Tanner Walton shot a 77 today at Boone Links and took third place in the boys' 16-18 division of the Northern Kentucky 7-UP Junior Golf Tour Championship. Walton and Millson Adams finished regulation play in the two-day tournament tied at 155, four shots behind the winner Blake Hamilton. Adams won a playoff for second place. Russell Rigg shot an 81 and finished fourth with a two-day total of 158. Tiara Harris shot an 80 today and finished third in the girls' division with a two-day total of 171. Here is a link to the complete results.

2nd Annual Maysville Recreation Commission 5K Run/Walk, 10K Run and 17 mile Bike are Saturday

The Second Annual Maysville Recreation Commission 5K Run/Walk, 10K Run and 17 Mile Bicycle Race take place Saturday morning. Registration begins at 7 a.m. at the former Jockey property on Clarks Run Road. Here is a link to the registration form.

Rigg, Walton and Harris make the cut at Northern Kentucky 7-Up Junior Golf Tour Championship

Russell Rigg, Tanner Walton and Tiara Harris made the cut at the Northern Kentucky 7-UP Junior Golf Tour Championship today at Lassing Pointe. Rigg, a rising senior at St. Patrick, shot a 77 and is two shots behind the co-leaders in the boys' 16-18 division. Walton, a rising junior at Mason County, shot a 78 in the boys' 16-18 division. Harris, a rising senior at Mason County, shot a 91 and is tied for fourth place, 12 shots back in the girls' division. Only the top six golfers in each division made the cut. The final round will be played Tuesday at Boone Links. Here is a link to the complete first round results.

(Edited to include Tanner Walton)

Mason Co. girls 10 and under team headed to AAU National Championship

The Mason County girls 5th grade 10 and under AAU basketball team held its final practice today before playing in the AAU National Championship tournament August 1-6 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort. The team won the state championship earlier this year. Brian "Rabbit" Littleton is the head coach. Jimmie Campbell and Jeff Frodge are assistant coaches. Here is a link to the tournament website. Mason County is playing in Division II.

(Team photo- Front Row (L-R): Megan Moran, Brianna Littleton, Makayla Highfield, Courtney Bailey, Madison Butler
Back Row (L-R): Jordan Frodge, Whitney O'Mara, Alexa Vice, Erika Simms, Maddie Boone, Nichole Gibbs, Briana McNutt)

Blakefield misses the cut at Nationwide event

Mark Blakefield shot a five-over-par 76 today in the second round of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational and missed the cut. Blakefield had a two-day total of eight-over 150 on The Ohio State University Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio.

Royals open football season four weeks from tonight

The Mason County Royals open the football season four weeks from tonight. Here is the schedule:

Aug. 20 Danville Away
Aug. 27 Montgomery County Away
Sept. 3 Open
Sept. 10 Bourbon County Home (Meadowview Regional Medical Center Kickoff Classic)
Sept. 17 Rowan County Away
Sept. 24 Harrison County Home
Sept. 30 Lewis County Home *
Oct. 8 Russell Away *
Oct. 15 West Carter Home *
Oct. 22 Fleming County Away *
Oct. 29 Greenup County Home

All game begin at 7:30 p.m.
* Denotes district games

Blakefield shoots a three-over 74 in Nationwide event

Mark Blakefield shot a three-over-par 74 today in the first round of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational in Columbus, Ohio. Blakefield is 11 shots off the lead. The tournament is being played at The Ohio State University Scarlet Course.

Pairings set for Keith Carver Memorial tournament

The pairings are set for the 3rd Annual Keith Carver Memorial Girls Fast Pitch Softball Tournament Saturday and Sunday at Wald Park. There are two age divisions- 14 and under, and Open Age Division. Here is the schedule:

14 and under
Saturday 10 a.m. Mason County vs. Fleming County
Saturday 11:45 a.m. Northern Kentucky Shock vs. Dirt Divers
Saturday 12:30 p.m. Mason County vs. Olive Hill Warriors

Open Age Division
Saturday 4 p.m. Southern Ohio Express vs. Mike Huff's team
Saturday 5:45 p.m. Southern Ohio Express vs. Dirty Laundry

Sunday's Round Robin games will begin at noon. Admission is free. All proceeds from the tournament go to Wald Park, Carver Field and the Memorial Scholarship Fund.

(Edited to change the nickname of the Northern Kentucky team)

Walton wins Northern Kentucky 7-UP Junior Golf Tour event at Tates Creek

Tanner Walton shot a three-over-par 75 and won the boys' 16-17-18 division at the Northern Kentucky Junior Golf Tour event at Tates Creek Golf Club in Lexington today. Several other local golfers competed in the tournament. Here is a link to the complete results.

Rigg takes third place in Musselmann-Dunne Junior Golf Tour Championship

Russell Rigg took third place in the boys' 16-18 division of the Musselman-Dunne Junior Golf Tour Championship at Big Spring Country Club in Louisville. Rigg had a two-day total of 13-over-par 157. Josh Griffin won at 152. Ashton Van Horne finished in second place at 156.

Blakefield to play in Nationwide event in Columbus

Mark Blakefield will play in the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational in Columbus, Ohio this week. The tournament will be played Thursday through Sunday at the Ohio State University Scarlet Course. It will be Blakefield's third Nationwide Tour event this year. He tied for 13th place in the South Georgia Classic and tied for 63rd place in the Stadion Athens Classic.
A One-Day Access ticket costs $10. You can purchase an All-Week Access ticket (Thursday-Sunday) for $30. Golf Channel will have coverage of the tournament Thursday and Friday from 12:30 p.m.-2:30 p.m., Saturday from 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. and Sunday from 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

Matt Malott wins Laurel Oaks Classic

Matt Malott of Georgetown, Ohio fired a four-under par 68 today and edged Matthew Grayson by one shot to win the Laurel Oaks Classic at Laurel Oaks Golf Club. Malott had a two-day total of 10-under 134. Grayson had the low round of the day- a seven-under 65. Bobby Kearney, who began the day with a two-shot lead over Malott after firing a 64 on Saturday, shot a 75 today to finish in a third place tie with Eric Schumacher at five-under 139. Here are the winners of the other flights:

First Flight
Tim Boden 144

Second Flight
Phil Williamson 150

Third Flight
David Robb 154

Fourth Flight
Josh Goddard 157

Fifth Flight
Bob Richmond 174

Gray and Griffith win Ladies Two-Day Invitational at MCC

Dusty Gray and Sheri Griffith shot a two-under-par 72 today and won the Ladies Two-Day Invitational Tournament at the Maysville Country Club at three-under 145. Gray and Griffith began the day tied for the lead with Lisa Houchens and Barb Kohls. Houchens and Kohls took second place in a scorecard playoff after ending up tied with the defending champions Peggy Ludwig and Kim Gunning at four-over 148. Here is the list of the winners in the other flights:

First Flight
Kathy Shaw and Mary Meek 154

Second Flight
Doris Brooks and Carol Forebeck 160

Third Flight
Jayne Lickert and Leisa Hickey 162

Fourth Flight
Carol Sapp and Kay Middleton 171

Fifth Flight
Virgie Miller and Wanda McHugh 189

Two local golf tournaments this weekend

The 18th Laurel Oaks Classic will be played Saturday and Sunday at Laurel Oaks Golf Club. Deron Feldhaus is the defending champion of the 36-hole medal play tournament.
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 Saturday's round. Peggy Ludwig and Kim Gunning are the defending champions.

Maysville connections to the Cincinnati Reds

Friday night is Maysville/Mason County night at Great American Ball Park when the Cincinnati Reds host the Colorado Rockies. That got me to thinking about Maysville connections to the Reds. Many Maysville residents used to take the George Washington train to Union Terminal in Cincinnati for a game at Crosley Field. They would watch the game, then head back to Maysville on the evening train. Here are some more connections between our town and the Reds:

• Dr. George Ballou, a graduate of Maysville High School, served as the Reds' team physician for many years. He received the MHS Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1973;
• Former Reds relief pitcher Dave Tomlin, who grew up in West Union, was born at Hayswood Hospital;
• The Reds basketball team, which included Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Lee May and Jimmy Stewart, defeated a team of local all-stars in a game at the Mason County Fieldhouse in 1970;
• Pete Rose got his record setting 4, 192nd hit on Maysville/Mason County Night at Riverfront Stadium on Sept. 11, 1985;
• Johnny Bench and Ron Oester made appearances at the Maysville Expos in the 1980s;
• Reds reliever Brad "The Animal" Lesley came to town for some promotion. I remember interviewing him downtown;
  
• The Reds Winter Caravan has stopped in Maysville the past three years;
• Bart Conway, a graduate of St. Patrick High School, is a regional group ticket sales representative for the Reds;
• WFTM has been a member of the Reds Radio Network for more than 50 years.

Ron Bailey e-mailed a Reds-Maysville connection I forgot about. In 1934 the Reds came to Maysville and played an exhibition game against a local team at a ball park on the current site of Deerfield Village. Eddie Rubenacker was at the game. He said the Reds took the train to Maysville, loaded their gear onto a truck, and jogged to the ball park. When Eddie told me the story a year or two ago, he was able to name eight of the nine Reds starters.

Leave a comment or send me an e-mail if you know of another connection between Maysville and the Reds, or if you have had a close encounter with a Reds player.

Royal Football Camp Friday night

The 2010 Royal Football Camp "Friday Night Under the Lights" is this Friday from 4:30-10 p.m. at the Mason County Football Stadium. The camp is for ages 8-13. The cost is $40. Each camper will receive a t-shirt donated by Dr. Tim Sargent and a football donated by Southgate Car Wash. Prizes will be awarded for the punt, pass and kick competition. Registration forms are available at the Mason County High School.

Simpson wins Junior Chippeways by 11 shots

Ben Simpson of Lexington had a 54-hole total of eight-under-par 208 and won the 42nd Junior Chippeways by 11 shots Saturday at the Maysville Country Club. Simpson began the day with a five-shot lead. He fired a four-under 68 in the second round Saturday morning to take an eight-shot lead over Corey Richmond. Simpson shot a two-over 74 in the final round. Defending champion Parker Paige shot a two-under 70 in the final round and took second place at 219. Richmond had a 79 in the final round and finished in third place, 13 shots behind Simpson. Here are the scores for the golfers in the championship flight and the winners of the other flights:

Championship Flight

Ben Simpson 208

Parker Paige 219

Corey Richmond 221

Daniel Deluca 223

WillBranham 224

Taylor Riggs 227

Trey Cox 229

Kyle Congleton 230

Russell Rigg 234

Clayton Brooks 237

Jordan Grayson 241

Rob Pell 249

First Flight

Taylor Combs 148

Second Flight

Bradley Litzinger 156

Third Flight

P.J. Trimble 175

Note: The championship flight played 54 holes. The other flights played 36 holes.

Ben Simpson fires a 66, has a five-shot lead in Jr. Chippeways

Ben Simpson fired a six-under-par 66 today at the Maysville Country Club and has a five-shot lead after the first round of the Junior Chippeways. Corey Richmond and Daniel Deluca are tied for second place at one-under. Clayton Brooks shot an even par 72. Taylor Riggs had a one-over 73. Defending champion Parker Page shot a two-over 74. The championship flight will play 36 holes on Saturday. The rest of the field will play 18 holes Saturday. Here is the top 16 after the first round:

Ben Simpson 66
Corey Richmond 71
Daniel Deluca 71
Clayton Brooks 72
Taylor Riggs 73
Parker Page 74
Kyle Congleton 74
Will Branham 74
Jordan Grayson 74
Russell Rigg 75
Trey Cox 75
Rob Pell 75
Taylor Combs 76
Tanner Huntley 76
Jackson Frame 76
Nathan Christopher Hincks 77

Russell Rigg wins boys' 16-18 division and Sarah Fite gets first win in 7-UP event at Flagg Springs

Russell Rigg shot a one-over-par 72 and won the boys' 16-18 division at the Northern Kentucky 7-UP Junior Golf Tour event today at Flagg Springs Golf Course in Campbell County. Bradley Litzinger tied for second place, two shots back. Sarah Fite picked up her first win on the 7-UP Tour with a one-shot victory in the Wie division. Tiara Harris took third place and Christen Cropper was fourth in the Annika Division. Here is a link to the complete results.

Lady Royals "Future Queens" Basketball Camps begin July 13

The Mason County Lady Royals “Future Queens” Basketball Camp will be conducted July 13-16 from 8:30 a.m. -12 p.m. for grades K-5 at Straub Elementary Gym and July 19-22 from 8:30 a.m. -12 p.m. for grades 6-8 at the Lady Royals Gymnasium. Fundamentals, station work and quality instruction will be offered. The camp is open to all girls throughout the area. The cost per camper is $50 which includes a camp t-shirt and certificate. Registration will be conducted on the first day of each camp and payment can be made at that time. For more information, please call 606-407-1280.

3-on-3 hoops tourney set for July 17 in downtown Maysville

A 3-on-3 basketball tournament is scheduled Saturday, July 17 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in downtown Maysville. Hoops will be set up on Second Street between Market Street and Court Street. The tournament is for boys and girls ages 8-18. Teams can pre-register on the Second Street Mall Thursday, July 15 from 5 to 7:30 p.m. For more information, contact Chris Bauer at Cab@stober.com

Rigg takes second place in Musselman-Dunne Tour event

Russell Rigg shot a 12-over-par 84 and took second place at the Musselman-Dunne Junior Golf Tour event at Lassing Pointe Golf Course in Union Tuesday. Rigg finished three shots behind the winner.

Coach Calipari Satellite Camp returns to Maysville August 5

University of Kentucky men's basketball Coach John Calipari will bring his Satellite Camp back to Maysville next month. The camp is scheduled August 5 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Mason County Fieldhouse. The camp is for boys and girls in kindergarten through the sixth grade and will feature instruction from Coach Calipari and his staff. There will also be an autograph session. The cost is $75. You can register online at www.ukathletics.com/camps or by calling 859-257-1916. Coach Cal held a Satellite Camp here in Maysville last year.

Shawn Armstrong wins third straight Firecracker

Shawn Armstrong fired a six-under-par 64 today at Kenton Station Golf Course and won the Firecracker golf tournament for the third straight year. Armstrong, who began the day two shots off the lead, had a two-day total of 13-under-par 127. Izzy Grayson, Matthew Grayson and Chad Ayers tied for second place at 11-under 129. First round leader Rick Harmon shot a 72 today and finished six shots behind Armstrong. Here are the winners of the other flights:

First Flight
Mark Moore- 136

Second Flight
Allen Feldhaus Jr.- 141

Third Flight
Phillip Finn-145

Fourth Flight
Chris Linback- 150

Fifth Flight
Billy Fox-152

Mason County football workouts begin July 12

Workouts for Mason County varsity football players begin Monday, July 12. Players should arrive before 7 p.m. Workouts for Mason County freshmen begin Tuesday, July 13. Freshmen should arrive before 5:30 p.m. Players need to make sure all signatures and information are complete in the physical form. Varsity players with questions should contact Coach Buchanan at David.Buchanan@mason.kyschools.us or 606-407-3708. Freshmen players with questions should Coach Jackson at Sean.Jackson@mason.kyschools.us or Coach Thomas at Jonathan.Thomas@mason.kyschools.us

Monday is the last day to enter Junior Chippeways

Monday is the deadline to sign-up for the 42nd Junior Chippeways golf tournament at the Maysville Country Club. The tournament, for boys ages 13-18, will be played Friday and Saturday.
Here is a link to the tournament registration form.

Two hole-in-ones in the first round of the Firecracker

There were two hole-in-ones and 25 golfers shot in the 60s in the first round of the Firecracker golf tournament today at Kenton Station Golf Course. Rick Harmon had a hole-in-one on the Par 4 12th and fired a nine-under-par 61. Izzy Grayson aced the Par 3 14th and is one shot back with a 62. Harmon shot a 29 on the back nine. Matt Little, Chad Ayers, Deron Feldhaus and two-time defending champion Shawn Armstrong are tied for third place at seven-under 63. Here is the list of golfers in the championship flight:

61- Rick Harmon
62- Izzy Grayson
63- Matt Little
63- Chad Ayers
63- Deron Feldhaus
63- Shawn Armstrong
64- Matthew Grayson
64- Corey Richmond
66- Don Pollard
66- Grant Palmer
66- John Kennedy
66- Coy Cummins
67- Troy Grooms
67- Bill O'Mara
67- Rick Hensley
67- Ewell Thomas

Josh Harris ranked No.1 Class of 2012 football prospect by Jody Demling

Mason County running back and linebacker Josh Harris is ranked as the number one football prospect in the Kentucky High School Class of 2012 by Jody Demling of the Louisville Courier-Journal. Demling also has a feature on Mason County quarterback Neal Pawsat on his blog. Here is the link to Demling's recruiting blog.

Firecracker is this weekend at Kenton Station

The 43rd Firecracker golf tournament will be played Saturday and Sunday at Kenton Station Golf Course. Shawn Armstrong is the two-time defending champion of the 36-hole medal play tournament. The field will be placed into flights after the first round.

Four locals have top 10 finishes at Northern Kentucky 7-UP Junior Golf Tour event

Tyler Lippert, Jackson Frame, Bradley Litzinger and Christian Arn had top 10 finishes at the Northern Kentucky 7-UP Junior Golf Tour event at Eagle Creek Country Club today. Here is a link to the complete results.