Big congrats to our Lady Dawgs

Looks like it’s going to be a year for records falling in Clinton County High School in basketball and a big congratulations to Coach Darrell Thompson and staff and especially to our Lady Dawgs for getting in on the act early in the year.

Not only did our Lady Bulldogs bring home some nice new hardware to add to the trophy case by capturing the 2014 Lady Redhawk Classic at Seneca High School in Louisville, they also broke into the Clinton County record books with the best start ever for a Lady Dawg basketball team.

The three wins in that Louisville tournament pushed our record to the 10-0 mark, making it the best start for a season ever.

The tournament championship win over Bardstown that resulted in the 10-0 mark, bested the previous 9-0 record that had been reached twice in Lady Bulldog basketball history.

The most recent team to reach that 9-0 mark was the 2003-04 squad that lost it’s 10th game of the season to Christian County in the Lexington Catholic tournament – then went on to lose the next three straight games in a holiday tournament in Georgia.

Previous to that, our 2000-01 Lady Dawgs managed to set the record at 9-0 when they also lost the 10th game of the season – also in the Lexington Catholic tournament – to the hands of West Carter in an overtime contest.

Those 9-0 records that have stood for more than a decade now, were a game better than the previous 8-0 mark that had been set by an early Lady Bulldog squad coached by Lois Haddix. The 1976-77 Lady Bulldogs reached an 8-0 mark before losing the 9th to the Lady Patriots of Allen County Scottsville High School.

Again – a big congratulations to our Lady Dawgs on the tournament win in Louisville – and for the new record.

Now we turn our sights on the next Lady Bulldog event that will see fans gathering in the Lindle Castle gymnasium for our own Best of the Lakes Holiday Classic that brings four additional teams to our town for the three day-event.

Metcalfe County, West Jessamine, Wayne County and Red Boiling Springs will be competing beginning Friday, December 26. The Lady Dawgs play at 8:00 p.m. Friday against Metcalfe, 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday against Red Boiling Springs and West Jessamine, respectively, and again at 4:00 p.m. Sunday when they take on Wayne County.

Come out to the Castle this weekend and enjoy some great basketball action – and get behind our Lady Dawgs to keep the wins coming our way!

Dawgs earn runner-up trophy in Twin Lakes Classic

Three wins in four days for our Bulldogs deserves plenty of congratulations all around as well to Coach Todd Messer and company, and especially to our Dawgs.

With wins over Metcalfe, Western, and Elliott County over the past weekend, Clinton County fell only to a very, very nice Perry County Central team on Saturday to eventually lay claim to the runner-up title in our own Twin Lakes Holiday Classic.

A single loss to one of the best teams in the 14th Region, Perry County Central, on Saturday, saw the Commodores eventually pick up four wins in our Classic and take claim of this year’s championship title. Congratulations to the Commodores.

Next, our Bulldogs hit the road for the second holiday event, as they head off to north-central Kentucky and the Gateway Holiday Classic in Mt. Sterling.

Our Dawgs will take an 8-3 record to this next event to face some really stiff competition in the likes of Mason County, Montgomery County, Lexington Lafayette, Lincoln County and Madisonville-North Hopkins.

That’s what you call jumping out of the fire into the frying pan, but it’s also called giving your team the chance to play against some of the best competition this state has to offer.

Good luck Dawgs.

Best to lace ‘em up on our floor

Up until this past Saturday night, I’ve long said that the best player to ever lace up the basketball shoes for a high school game on our C.C.H.S. floor had been long-time Metcalfe County star and eventually U.K. Wildcat, J.P. Blevins.

We watched J.P. light us up year after year from his 7th grade year through his senior year and Clinton County’s gym will always hold a special place in his heart – that’s where he set his high school career high when he dropped in 51 points on us one night.

After Saturday night – and I’ll admit the time lapse of nearly 15 years might have something to do with this, but I’m ready to put J.P. in second place just behind Perry County Central Junior Braxton Beverly.

Beverly finished Saturday night’s win over us with 46 points, but he’s at least a head shorter than J.P.’s 6’2” frame. While J.P. had the quickest first step I’ve ever seen in high school that would leave defenders looking behind them to see where the shooter went, Beverly had the absolute quickest stop and jump to shoot move I’ve ever seen.

I hated to see our Dawgs lose to Perry Central, but I’ll have to say, watching Beverly play was shear entertainment.

One final note to emphasize what I briefly touched on last week about what visiting teams say concerning our own holiday classic events and how much they enjoy the events we host.

Louisville Western head coach Terrance Moorman said in a conversation we were having Sunday that he appreciated being able to bring his team to this area of the state for an event that was as organized and hospitable as our is.

Seeing the lake, woods and outdoor settings and experience our “country” atmosphere was something that many of his players will only get to experience on this one occasion – a trip that could be for many their only time outside of the city setting.

“I’d like to come back again” Moorman said Sunday.

I’ve long said I really have a serious dislike for holiday tournaments, but as holiday tournaments go – Athletic Director Mike Beard and company certainly put on two of the best in the state.

Again – to my readers – Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year. I’ll see you courtside in 2015.